Jail time! That is what illegal surgeons and others who break the new Customary Male Initiation Practice Act can expect.
The warning was issued at a pre-initiation season meeting held at Mbizana on Tuesday.
Eastern Cape government officials and traditional leaders said it was all systems go as tens of thousands of boys are expected to stream to the mountains to undergo the traditional rite of passage to manhood at the start of the summer initiation season.
The season will get going in earnest when Grade 12 pupils finish writing exams on November 25.
The Eastern Cape House of Traditional Leaders (ECHTL) and stakeholders tabled reports at a technical team meeting in Mbizana.
In attendance were traditional leaders, municipalities, NGOs, the departments of cooperative governance and traditional affairs, health, sports, arts and culture, education, social development, the National Prosecuting Authority and SAPS.
ECHTL chief executive Mzi Nkantsu said the overarching objective was to get “an aeroplane view” of strategies put in place to get rid of illegal initiation schools and bring to an end to the death of initiates.
The reports set out an intensive awareness drive, visits to high schools to educate boys about the dangers of illegal circumcision, and holding boys’ camps and community imbizos.
Cogta MEC Fikile Xasa and the ECHTL leadership had visited the province’s great places speaking to traditional leaders and parents.
At the heart of the campaign is the promotion of the Customary Male Initiation Practice Act, which has powers to jail initiation law breakers.
ECHTL chief executive Mzi Nkantsu, who chaired the technical team meeting, said many initiates in the past had lost their manhood due to botched circumcisions or died at the hands of bogus traditional surgeons.
Nkantsu said they were now consulting on the plans from all the stakeholders, and some loopholes needed urgent attention.
“We are concerned about the state of readiness in the OR Tambo district. We are going to re-inform support to that district municipality.”
Only youths aged 18 and older were legally allowed to be circumcised.
“This law applies to everyone, everywhere in the province.
“Compliance is going to be enforced.” — lulamilef@dispatch.co.za
Jail warning for illegal surgeons ahead of initiation season
Jail time! That is what illegal surgeons and others who break the new Customary Male Initiation Practice Act can expect.
The warning was issued at a pre-initiation season meeting held at Mbizana on Tuesday.
Eastern Cape government officials and traditional leaders said it was all systems go as tens of thousands of boys are expected to stream to the mountains to undergo the traditional rite of passage to manhood at the start of the summer initiation season.
The season will get going in earnest when Grade 12 pupils finish writing exams on November 25.
The Eastern Cape House of Traditional Leaders (ECHTL) and stakeholders tabled reports at a technical team meeting in Mbizana.
In attendance were traditional leaders, municipalities, NGOs, the departments of cooperative governance and traditional affairs, health, sports, arts and culture, education, social development, the National Prosecuting Authority and SAPS.
ECHTL chief executive Mzi Nkantsu said the overarching objective was to get “an aeroplane view” of strategies put in place to get rid of illegal initiation schools and bring to an end to the death of initiates.
The reports set out an intensive awareness drive, visits to high schools to educate boys about the dangers of illegal circumcision, and holding boys’ camps and community imbizos.
Cogta MEC Fikile Xasa and the ECHTL leadership had visited the province’s great places speaking to traditional leaders and parents.
At the heart of the campaign is the promotion of the Customary Male Initiation Practice Act, which has powers to jail initiation law breakers.
ECHTL chief executive Mzi Nkantsu, who chaired the technical team meeting, said many initiates in the past had lost their manhood due to botched circumcisions or died at the hands of bogus traditional surgeons.
Nkantsu said they were now consulting on the plans from all the stakeholders, and some loopholes needed urgent attention.
“We are concerned about the state of readiness in the OR Tambo district. We are going to re-inform support to that district municipality.”
Only youths aged 18 and older were legally allowed to be circumcised.
“This law applies to everyone, everywhere in the province.
“Compliance is going to be enforced.” — lulamilef@dispatch.co.za
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