Three initiates have died in the Eastern Cape – just four days into the winter initiation season.
Authorities have dedicated resources to prevent casualties and injuries and have vowed to hold traditional leaders accountable.
The Eastern Cape House of Traditional Leaders (ECHTL) has already dispatched people to the affected communities to investigate the deaths.
ECHTL chairman Ngangomhlaba Matanzima said the situation could not be tolerated.
He emphasised an early warning by cooperative governance and traditional affairs MEC Fikile Xasa that tra ditional leaders should account for deaths in their areas of jurisdiction.
“All these initiates are underage. One of them was 14 years old and the oldest was just 17.
“I have sent teams to convey our message of condolences to the bereaved families, investigate the deaths and speak to the traditional leaders and also to the communities,” said Matanzima.
The initiate deaths were reported in Port St Johns, Queenstown and Libode.
Matanzima spoke out against parents who allow their sons to be circumcised by “fly-by-night” and bogus traditional surgeons.
“I am told the Queenstown initiate was sawing wood when he collapsed and died. We do not know what was wrong. But all died at their initiation schools, not in hospital.
“We are now waging war against parents who allow the killing of the initiates to happen. We established during the monitoring that some parents refused to make an affidavit to open a case against those who illegally circumcised their boys.”
More than 400000 boys underwent the traditional rite of passage in the Eastern Cape from June 2006 to December last year. Of these, 532 died, 233 had penile amputations and 5586 were admitted to hospital. Only 257 people have been arrested.
The MEC said they would reinforce operations with police. — lulamilef@dispatch.co.za
Three die in first 4 days of rite season
Three initiates have died in the Eastern Cape – just four days into the winter initiation season.
Authorities have dedicated resources to prevent casualties and injuries and have vowed to hold traditional leaders accountable.
The Eastern Cape House of Traditional Leaders (ECHTL) has already dispatched people to the affected communities to investigate the deaths.
ECHTL chairman Ngangomhlaba Matanzima said the situation could not be tolerated.
He emphasised an early warning by cooperative governance and traditional affairs MEC Fikile Xasa that tra ditional leaders should account for deaths in their areas of jurisdiction.
“All these initiates are underage. One of them was 14 years old and the oldest was just 17.
“I have sent teams to convey our message of condolences to the bereaved families, investigate the deaths and speak to the traditional leaders and also to the communities,” said Matanzima.
The initiate deaths were reported in Port St Johns, Queenstown and Libode.
Matanzima spoke out against parents who allow their sons to be circumcised by “fly-by-night” and bogus traditional surgeons.
“I am told the Queenstown initiate was sawing wood when he collapsed and died. We do not know what was wrong. But all died at their initiation schools, not in hospital.
“We are now waging war against parents who allow the killing of the initiates to happen. We established during the monitoring that some parents refused to make an affidavit to open a case against those who illegally circumcised their boys.”
More than 400000 boys underwent the traditional rite of passage in the Eastern Cape from June 2006 to December last year. Of these, 532 died, 233 had penile amputations and 5586 were admitted to hospital. Only 257 people have been arrested.
The MEC said they would reinforce operations with police. — lulamilef@dispatch.co.za
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