South African authorities reported 41 young men died during the recent initiation season, primarily due to complications from traditional circumcision rites. These ceremonies, a rite of passage into manhood for several ethnic groups, involve isolation and circumcision. Despite regulations aimed at ensuring safety and medical care, unregistered schools operating for financial gain continue to cause fatalities from infection, dehydration, and poor medical practices. Officials attribute the deaths to negligence by both initiation schools and parents.