Cops arrest 10 in drive to curb initiation deaths

Ten people, including a village headwoman, have been arrested on charges of unlawful circumcision in the Eastern Cape.

Five of them will also face additional charges of stock-theft and dealing in dagga after allegedly being found in possession of stolen goods and dagga at an initiation school in Mbizana last week.

Cooperative governance and traditional affairs (Cogta) provincial spokesman Mamnkeli Ngam yesterday said some of those arrested, including the female traditional leader, were expected to appear in Mbizana Magistrate’s Court today.

He said while Cogta MEC Fikile Xasa was happy with the arrests, he was concerned that a notorious traditional leader from Port St Johns, who previously served a five-year prison term for illegal circumcision and running an illegal initiation school, was acquitted on Friday due to a lack of evidence relating to a new case.

“This is disappointing because 84 initiates, all … underage, including a 11-year-old initiate, were rescued from his … initiation school and were all in bad condition,” said Ngam.

Xasa visited the rescued initiates at King Ndlovuyezwe rescue centre in Libode last Friday.

According to law, only those 18 years and above can undergo traditional circumcision and initiation.

Another controversial traditional surgeon from Mbizana, who goes by the name Lusikisiki, was released on bail last Friday. He was arrested on a charge of unlawful circumcision.

An uncircumcised Bhisho boy, posing as a traditional surgeon, was arrested last week for allegedly conducting circumcision in villages around Bhisho.

It is taboo for males who have not undergone traditional circumcision and initiation to conduct the rite

Ngam said traditional leaders and the government were doing their best to prevent the loss of life at initiation schools, but some communities were hell-bent on letting bogus traditional practitioners toy with the lives of their sons.

Fed-up with community resisting the rescuing of initiates, police last Thursday resorted to using rubber bullets to disperse a rowdy crowd at an initiation school in Mbizana.

“Police and our traditional initiation monitoring teams were being prevented from rescuing the ailing initiates who were kidnapped and illegally circumcised,” said Ngam.

“The teams could not leave the initiates there to die, hence, the police were forced to use rubber bullets to enable the rescue. Nobody was injured.”

The resistance comes at a time authorities are fighting to curb initiate deaths, which increased to six within a week.

The last death was reported on Thursday afternoon.

The Bhisho Legislature’s ANC caucus expressed concern on the initiation deaths and hospitalisation.

“We are overly concerned about the reported deaths of six initiates and the hospitalisation of many.

“We call upon parents, community and other stakeholders to join hands during this period,” said Mzoleli Mrara, the Bhisho Legislature chief whip.

Mrara called upon all parents to identify traditional initiation practitioners who are credible and recommend them to traditional leaders for registration and verification.