Three more initiates have died in the Eastern Cape, pushing the initiation death toll within the first two weeks of the circumcision season to 16.
Traditional leaders said the situation forced them to look for alternative circumcision processes, but were adamant male medical circumcision would not replace traditional initiation.
The three latest deaths were reported in Tantergate and Thornhill near Whittlesea in the Chris Hani district and in Barkly East, which falls within the Joe Gqabi district.
Of the 16 deaths so far, nine have been reported in areas in the Chris Hani district, with the remaining ones shared among various areas in the province.
Eastern Cape House of Traditional Leaders chairman Chief Ngangomhlaba Matanzima said the deaths to date were due to dehydration, assault, one died after an asthma attack while another is believed to have taken his own life.
Matanzima stressed that initiates needed to drink enough water.
“You cannot in this hot weather deny initiates water; you are just killing them if you do that,” said Matanzima.
“Dehydration was reported to be the major contributing factor of the deaths in Chris Hani. Some of the areas are closer to the Karoo, and one can imagine the situation at initiation lodges, especially those erected with plastic and corrugated iron,” said Chief Mnoneleli Ranuga, who represented the Eastern Cape House of Traditional Leaders at a meeting in Queenstown to discuss the problem yesterday.
He said six monitoring teams, including doctors, nurses, SAPS members, health officials, traditional leaders and others stakeholders, had been established to visit all the initiation lodges in the area.
“This is an area that is being watched as the deaths took us by surprise. We identified hot spots.”
Cogta provincial spokesman Mamkeli Ngam said they would re-enforce its efforts in Chris Hani and roving monitors would identify hotspots.
Despite a guarantee by the Cogta deputy minister Obed Bapela that every municipality would have their own bylaws dealing with the establishment of initiation schools, this has not yet happened.
The health department had also previously said they were looking at establishing field hospitals run by SANDF medical staff, but none has so far been established. — lulamilef@dispatch.co.za
Three more initiate deaths push season total to 16
Traditional leaders said the situation forced them to look for alternative circumcision processes, but were adamant male medical circumcision would not replace traditional initiation.
The three latest deaths were reported in Tantergate and Thornhill near Whittlesea in the Chris Hani district and in Barkly East, which falls within the Joe Gqabi district.
Of the 16 deaths so far, nine have been reported in areas in the Chris Hani district, with the remaining ones shared among various areas in the province.
Eastern Cape House of Traditional Leaders chairman Chief Ngangomhlaba Matanzima said the deaths to date were due to dehydration, assault, one died after an asthma attack while another is believed to have taken his own life.
Matanzima stressed that initiates needed to drink enough water.
“You cannot in this hot weather deny initiates water; you are just killing them if you do that,” said Matanzima.
“Dehydration was reported to be the major contributing factor of the deaths in Chris Hani. Some of the areas are closer to the Karoo, and one can imagine the situation at initiation lodges, especially those erected with plastic and corrugated iron,” said Chief Mnoneleli Ranuga, who represented the Eastern Cape House of Traditional Leaders at a meeting in Queenstown to discuss the problem yesterday.
He said six monitoring teams, including doctors, nurses, SAPS members, health officials, traditional leaders and others stakeholders, had been established to visit all the initiation lodges in the area.
“This is an area that is being watched as the deaths took us by surprise. We identified hot spots.”
Cogta provincial spokesman Mamkeli Ngam said they would re-enforce its efforts in Chris Hani and roving monitors would identify hotspots.
Despite a guarantee by the Cogta deputy minister Obed Bapela that every municipality would have their own bylaws dealing with the establishment of initiation schools, this has not yet happened.
The health department had also previously said they were looking at establishing field hospitals run by SANDF medical staff, but none has so far been established. — lulamilef@dispatch.co.za
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