Eastern Cape traditional leaders and other stakeholders involved in the monitoring of traditional initiation, have called upon police provincial bosses to deploy more police officers and a helicopter to catch the Mpondoland most notorious traditional surgeon known as Mtshayina believed to be hiding in a cave in forest with some young initiates he illegally circumcised.
This was raised during meeting in Libode between the OR Tambo traditional initiation forum, Eastern Cape House of Traditional Leaders when the Bhisho Legislature health and Cogta portfolio committees chairman Mxolisi Dimaza and Mniniwa Nyukile, respectively, visited Libode following the alarming increase of initiates which by this afternoon the figure increased to 15 – three more than the entire 2017 winter season where 11 initiates died.
It was also raised in the meeting that Mtshayini, who had previously serve a prison term for illegal circumcision, was also wanted for the death of the 49-year-old mentally challenged initiate who died at Gomo village near Port St Johns on Monday.
''We have spoken to the police provincial commissioner and Mthatha cluster commander and how difficulty was to trek down Mtshayina in the mountainous terrain where he is hiding in a cave. A police helicopter was promised to assist catch him, but we are yet to get it. Now Mtshayina has is the traditional surgeon responsible for killing the 49-year-old initiate,'' said Nkosi Landela Gwadiso...