Abstract
The aim of this paper is to point the Environmental Health (EH) profession in South Africa in the direction of their
neglected function. The health inspection of initiation schools is one of the abandoned responsibility of EH profession
in South Africa. This is due to fear of interfering with the traditional value systems and thus resulting in significant
non-compliance to EH norms and standards. Little information is available on the compliance rate of EH
requirements in the African traditional initiation schools. South African National Department of Health states
that EHPs have an obligation to protect the health, safety and well-being of citizens from the environmental
determinants, and this is achieved through enforcing the health requirements. In terms of the norms and
standards for EH, health education in initiation schools should form an integral part of monitoring and evaluation, and
this is found under the health surveillance of premises. The main argument raised by this paper is negligence of EHPs
to conduct EH inspections at the Basotho male initiation schools and to promote health in support of the constitution
of South Africa. Negligence of EHPs to perform their duties result in deaths and fatal injuries among initiates and this
indicates the need for health promotion and EH research in the Basotho male initiation schools.