Royal rage as bogus surgeon arrested for illegal circumcision
A bogus traditional surgeon has been arrested in Libode and accused of illegally circumcising a boy aged 17 — just days before the start of the summer initiation season.
The revelation has infuriated Nyandeni King Ndamase Ndamase, Eastern Cape house of traditional leaders chair Nkosi Mwelo Nonkonyana and co-operative governance MEC Xolile Nqatha, who called on parents and traditional leaders to be vigilant.
The 2019 initiation season will be launched in Komani on Sunday with a multi-denominational prayer for a safer season.
King Ndamase said of the illegal initiation: “This has left us fuming, it is an insult to our custom.
“But I am happy that there has been an arrest. We hope he will rot in jail.
“All bogus traditional practitioners must be jailed. [The suspect] is just 27 — still very young to be circumcising people. We want more arrests of people like him.
“Parents must be in the forefront in ensuring the safety of boys and must not leave it to the traditional leaders.''
Co-operative governance and traditional affairs spokesperson Mamnkeli Ngam said: ''He is alleged to have illegally circumcised an underage boy.”
Both the suspect and the teen were from Sibangweni administrative area, Ngam said.
He said the suspect would be charged with unlawful circumcision.
Nonkonyana said: ''This is really an embarrassment. We strongly condemn this thing.
He added: “Nyandeni is consistently defying our own programme of traditional initiation. [The area] continues to top the numbers of fatalities and injuries.
“In September, they already started illegally circumcising young boys and breaking all the laws that regulate the rite.
“Last week, our monitoring teams were dismantling another illegally erected traditional initiation school.
“It is high time the king of Nyandeni and all his traditional leaders took drastic steps against this rot and set a good, lasting example. Our courts must be harsh,'' Nonkonyana said.
There were 21 deaths in the 2019 winter season, 13 of which were in the OR Tambo district, and seven in Nyandeni.
Nyandeni, which encompasses Libode, Ngqeleni and Port St Johns, falls under King Ndamase.
The area is notorious for illegal circumcisions, some involving the kidnapping and initiation of boys as young as 12.