The National House of Traditional Leaders has called for the upcoming traditional initiation season to be shelved following warnings it will one of the coldest winters in the history.
The house’s deputy chairman, Chief Sipho Mahlangu, who is also the national chairman of initiation, said the cold weather would impact negatively on the health of initiates.
“We advise that initiation not be conducted this season,” he said.
“We have been warned that it will be the coldest winter,” he said, adding the warning had come from the disaster management.
“It will be the coldest and we fear for loss of lives and discourage families and communities to have initiation.
“Those who can postpone must please do for the sake of their sons. Those who cannot must take take extra precautions to ensure that the initiated do not freeze to death in the mountains.”
He said they had received a similar warning last year, only then it was ahead of the summer season.
“We saw a heat wave hitting the country … and most of the deaths were related to dehydration.”
The call to postpone the season comes as the Eastern Cape government in partnership with traditional leaders are hard at work preparing a strategy to prevent more circumcision deaths.
At least 40000 boys are expected to undergo the rite of passage into manhood. Twenty-nine initiates died during the same period last year.
Although the Eastern Cape has taken the warning seriously, authorities said there was no official decision to postpone the season.
Eastern Cape House of Traditional Leaders chairman Chief Ngangomhlaba Matanzima said: “As we all know June is the main month in line with the practices of initiation. Originally, boys used to undergo initiation only in winter so it cannot be shelved in this month.”
The ECHTL and the Contralesa advised families to take extra effort to ensure initiates were kept warm.
“We must ensure that we are well prepared for this season. In summer we were faced with the heat wave and now it is the cold,” said Matanzima.
Contralesa secretary-general Chief Xolile Ndevu also urged communities to take extra precautions.
“We must ensure that ours sons in the mountain are warm and we must prepare for that. Culturally we cannot postpone initiation in winter as it is exactly when the rite is traditionally practised.”
Many communities living in areas areas around Matatiele, Mount Fletcher, Maluti and other mountainous areas do not conduct traditional initiation in winter because of winter snow falls.
In Mpondoland, most communities prefer to conduct initiation in winter.
Matanzima said the traditional initiation provincial coordination forum held a meeting to measure the Eastern Cape’s readiness.
“We are prepared for this and we have learnt from our mistakes.
“Traditional leaders in their respective traditional areas will lead monitoring this season,” said Matanzima.
Campaigns to educate communities on safer initiation have already started.
Cogta Minister Des van Rooyen, the ECHTL, the National House of Traditional Leaders and other stakeholders will on Monday launch a toll free number in Mount Frere for people to call if problems are encountered at initiation schools. — lulamilef@ dispatchlive.co.za/
Chiefs call for halt to winter rite
The house’s deputy chairman, Chief Sipho Mahlangu, who is also the national chairman of initiation, said the cold weather would impact negatively on the health of initiates.
“We advise that initiation not be conducted this season,” he said.
“We have been warned that it will be the coldest winter,” he said, adding the warning had come from the disaster management.
“It will be the coldest and we fear for loss of lives and discourage families and communities to have initiation.
“Those who can postpone must please do for the sake of their sons. Those who cannot must take take extra precautions to ensure that the initiated do not freeze to death in the mountains.”
He said they had received a similar warning last year, only then it was ahead of the summer season.
“We saw a heat wave hitting the country … and most of the deaths were related to dehydration.”
The call to postpone the season comes as the Eastern Cape government in partnership with traditional leaders are hard at work preparing a strategy to prevent more circumcision deaths.
At least 40000 boys are expected to undergo the rite of passage into manhood. Twenty-nine initiates died during the same period last year.
Although the Eastern Cape has taken the warning seriously, authorities said there was no official decision to postpone the season.
Eastern Cape House of Traditional Leaders chairman Chief Ngangomhlaba Matanzima said: “As we all know June is the main month in line with the practices of initiation. Originally, boys used to undergo initiation only in winter so it cannot be shelved in this month.”
The ECHTL and the Contralesa advised families to take extra effort to ensure initiates were kept warm.
“We must ensure that we are well prepared for this season. In summer we were faced with the heat wave and now it is the cold,” said Matanzima.
Contralesa secretary-general Chief Xolile Ndevu also urged communities to take extra precautions.
“We must ensure that ours sons in the mountain are warm and we must prepare for that. Culturally we cannot postpone initiation in winter as it is exactly when the rite is traditionally practised.”
Many communities living in areas areas around Matatiele, Mount Fletcher, Maluti and other mountainous areas do not conduct traditional initiation in winter because of winter snow falls.
In Mpondoland, most communities prefer to conduct initiation in winter.
Matanzima said the traditional initiation provincial coordination forum held a meeting to measure the Eastern Cape’s readiness.
“We are prepared for this and we have learnt from our mistakes.
“Traditional leaders in their respective traditional areas will lead monitoring this season,” said Matanzima.
Campaigns to educate communities on safer initiation have already started.
Cogta Minister Des van Rooyen, the ECHTL, the National House of Traditional Leaders and other stakeholders will on Monday launch a toll free number in Mount Frere for people to call if problems are encountered at initiation schools. — lulamilef@ dispatchlive.co.za/
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