Pondoland plan of action mootedGOVERNMENT officials, traditional leaders and politicians should camp at initiation sites in Pondoland to raise awareness and minimise deaths during the December holidays.
The portfolio committee on health has recommended this move. The committee tabled a report to the provincial legislature on Wednesday after visiting most of the areas affected by the high numbers of initiate deaths in eastern Pondoland.
The deaths of 39 initiates during the winter circumcision season prompted politicians and officials to be proactive in Pondoland, which experiences the most deaths and penile amputations annually.
A legislature sitting on Wednesday heard how parents in the areas around Lusikisiki, Mbizana, Port St Johns and Libode allowed bogus and inexperienced iingcibi (traditional surgeons) to circumcise their sons, many of them as young as 13.
Presenting the report, ANC MPL and committee chair Mxolisi Dimaza said that, during the body’s visit in July, it discovered boys were “too traumatised” to undergo the ritual.
Dimaza also revealed his team was so affected by the situation that some members excused themselves during visits “feeling that they themselves needed counselling”.
The house was also told of instances where fathers were barred by their sons from interfering in their stay in the mountains because the fathers had never undergone the custom themselves.
Other issues include:
- Boys who had undergone medical circumcision being harassed by iingcibi and re-circumcised;
Clueless children were circumcising each other;
A hospital that turned away sick males because its wards were always full during initiation season; and
Boys who had penile amputations committing suicide.The committee also visited two hospitals – St Patrick’s and St Barnabas – which struggled during initiation season.
The report reads: “The bulk of these hospitals’ budgets are used to feed initiates and the hospitals find it difficult to admit sick male patients as their male wards are always full during the initiation season.”
It recommended that the government look at having “rescue centres”, where affected initiates could be treated and accommodated.
During a debate on the matter, politicians pledged to intervene.
“As the ANC, we say what needs to be done is to go camp in the area…to educate and raise awareness on how the process should be done,” Dimaza said.
“As government departments and politicians, we need to be there among that community, with continuous workshops conducted with a view of curbing the number of illegal traditional surgeons…”
UDM MPL Max Mhlathi said the government needed a presence in Pondoland and to get iingcibi from other parts of the province to educate those in the area.
“Long ago there were no deaths, but why is it a disaster now to go to the initiation schools?” he asked.
“How can we lose 39 young boys in just two months? This means we are struggling to maintain our culture and that needs to change.”
Health MEC Sicelo Gqobana said the commercialisation of the custom was at the root of all its challenges. He said his department was training “identified doctors” in preparation for the December initiation season.
Gqobana also said his department was working closely with the police to prevent illegal schools, as well as illegal iingcibi and nurses from operating. — asandan@dispatch.co.za
Appeal to stem tide of death during rite
GOVERNMENT officials, traditional leaders and politicians should camp at initiation sites in Pondoland to raise awareness and minimise deaths during the December holidays.
The portfolio committee on health has recommended this move. The committee tabled a report to the provincial legislature on Wednesday after visiting most of the areas affected by the high numbers of initiate deaths in eastern Pondoland.
The deaths of 39 initiates during the winter circumcision season prompted politicians and officials to be proactive in Pondoland, which experiences the most deaths and penile amputations annually.
A legislature sitting on Wednesday heard how parents in the areas around Lusikisiki, Mbizana, Port St Johns and Libode allowed bogus and inexperienced iingcibi (traditional surgeons) to circumcise their sons, many of them as young as 13.
Presenting the report, ANC MPL and committee chair Mxolisi Dimaza said that, during the body’s visit in July, it discovered boys were “too traumatised” to undergo the ritual.
Dimaza also revealed his team was so affected by the situation that some members excused themselves during visits “feeling that they themselves needed counselling”.
The house was also told of instances where fathers were barred by their sons from interfering in their stay in the mountains because the fathers had never undergone the custom themselves.
Other issues include:
The committee also visited two hospitals – St Patrick’s and St Barnabas – which struggled during initiation season.
The report reads: “The bulk of these hospitals’ budgets are used to feed initiates and the hospitals find it difficult to admit sick male patients as their male wards are always full during the initiation season.”
It recommended that the government look at having “rescue centres”, where affected initiates could be treated and accommodated.
During a debate on the matter, politicians pledged to intervene.
“As the ANC, we say what needs to be done is to go camp in the area…to educate and raise awareness on how the process should be done,” Dimaza said.
“As government departments and politicians, we need to be there among that community, with continuous workshops conducted with a view of curbing the number of illegal traditional surgeons…”
UDM MPL Max Mhlathi said the government needed a presence in Pondoland and to get iingcibi from other parts of the province to educate those in the area.
“Long ago there were no deaths, but why is it a disaster now to go to the initiation schools?” he asked.
“How can we lose 39 young boys in just two months? This means we are struggling to maintain our culture and that needs to change.”
Health MEC Sicelo Gqobana said the commercialisation of the custom was at the root of all its challenges. He said his department was training “identified doctors” in preparation for the December initiation season.
Gqobana also said his department was working closely with the police to prevent illegal schools, as well as illegal iingcibi and nurses from operating. — asandan@dispatch.co.za
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