The government has warned it will enforce the controversial procedure of male medical circumcision initiates keep dying – but the vow has not been well received.
Opening a two-day initiation summit in Mthatha yesterday, Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Deputy Minister Obed Bapela said there was growing concern over deaths of initiates, especially in the Eastern Cape.
He assured his audience the government would take drastic steps to save lives.
Bapela said the state was exploring ways to modernise the practice without losing its “core ancestral connection”.
This included looking at ways to “harmonise” traditional circumcision with male medical circumcision (MMC) “in a way that would help us preserve lives and win against the critics who have been campaigning that the practice be banned”.
He said Limpopo had set a good example when it embraced MMC, with Mpumalanga reportedly following suit.
“Circumcision as a procedure is only 10% of initiation.
“We strongly appeal that the traditional leaders in the Eastern Cape consider combining it with MMC.”
He said the province had led in initiation fatalities for a number of years.
Last winter 14483 boys underwent the rite.
Of these, 40 died while 24 had to have penile amputations.
Bapela said that according to the Bill of Rights people had a right to life, and the government would do its best to ensure there were no deaths in initiation schools.
“I have heard that there is strong resistance to the introduction of MMC, with some people saying that it will never be introduced in their areas. But if initiates continue dying, we will have no choice – we will be forced to introduce MMC in the problematic areas.”
Community Development Foundation of South Africa executive director Nkululeko Nxesi told Bapela that MMC in the Eastern Cape would be rejected because of the way it was being introduced.
“Already MMC has caused problems in the Mount Ayliff area, where a certain foreign organisation was abducting under-age boys and circumcised them without parental and community concerns,” he said.
Some traditional leaders from AbaThembu, AmaXhosa, AmaBhaca, AmaHlubi and BaSotho all rejected the idea of introducing MMC.
Eastern Cape House of Traditional Leaders chairman Ngangomhlaba Matanzima said although for many years in the past some men in other areas were circumcised by medical doctors because of their choices and other reasons, the blanket introduction of MMC would cause more problems than solutions.
“We understand that the initiate deaths are because of assaults, ill-treatment, wound management and disease. So how is MMC going to avoid those things?”
Bapela said the increase in illegal initiation schools was a huge concern. The summit continues today. — lulamilef@dispatch.co.za
Medical circumcision on the cards
Opening a two-day initiation summit in Mthatha yesterday, Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Deputy Minister Obed Bapela said there was growing concern over deaths of initiates, especially in the Eastern Cape.
He assured his audience the government would take drastic steps to save lives.
Bapela said the state was exploring ways to modernise the practice without losing its “core ancestral connection”.
This included looking at ways to “harmonise” traditional circumcision with male medical circumcision (MMC) “in a way that would help us preserve lives and win against the critics who have been campaigning that the practice be banned”.
He said Limpopo had set a good example when it embraced MMC, with Mpumalanga reportedly following suit.
“Circumcision as a procedure is only 10% of initiation.
“We strongly appeal that the traditional leaders in the Eastern Cape consider combining it with MMC.”
He said the province had led in initiation fatalities for a number of years.
Last winter 14483 boys underwent the rite.
Of these, 40 died while 24 had to have penile amputations.
Bapela said that according to the Bill of Rights people had a right to life, and the government would do its best to ensure there were no deaths in initiation schools.
“I have heard that there is strong resistance to the introduction of MMC, with some people saying that it will never be introduced in their areas. But if initiates continue dying, we will have no choice – we will be forced to introduce MMC in the problematic areas.”
Community Development Foundation of South Africa executive director Nkululeko Nxesi told Bapela that MMC in the Eastern Cape would be rejected because of the way it was being introduced.
“Already MMC has caused problems in the Mount Ayliff area, where a certain foreign organisation was abducting under-age boys and circumcised them without parental and community concerns,” he said.
Some traditional leaders from AbaThembu, AmaXhosa, AmaBhaca, AmaHlubi and BaSotho all rejected the idea of introducing MMC.
Eastern Cape House of Traditional Leaders chairman Ngangomhlaba Matanzima said although for many years in the past some men in other areas were circumcised by medical doctors because of their choices and other reasons, the blanket introduction of MMC would cause more problems than solutions.
“We understand that the initiate deaths are because of assaults, ill-treatment, wound management and disease. So how is MMC going to avoid those things?”
Bapela said the increase in illegal initiation schools was a huge concern. The summit continues today. — lulamilef@dispatch.co.za
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