For most of the year he shapes pupils’ futures by teaching them maths – then during the winter and summer initiation seasons, Qaqambile Siyongwana trades his chalk for his traditional circumcision spear.
And in the 10 years that he has been a traditional surgeon, the 47-year-old Excelsior Comprehensive School teacher has circumcised more than 2,000 boys. None of them died.
The Mthatha school teacher and school rugby coach said he decided to do something after two of his brightest pupils and promising rugby stars, Akhona Tyson Damane and Mkhululi Boyce succumbed to assault wounds while undergoing traditional circumcision in 2008.
Siyongwana, who grew up in Ngqamakhwe with his grandfather, Duma Oliver “Sanawys” Makalima, who was a renowned traditional surgeon, had acted as a messenger for initiates and a food carrier (inqalathi), just like many boys do.
But he never thought he would follow in Makalima’s footsteps.
But after Damane and Boyce died, he decided to do his bit in ensuring the rite did not become a ritual of death.
“They had bright futures in rugby ahead of them, and were bright maths pupils. But their lives were cut short,” he said still with grief written all over his face.
“I was shocked and angered to see injuries in their bodies in the morgue. I was devastated, my heart was bleeding. I was angry, ashamed and cursed the day they were circumcised by the bogus surgeon.”
With jailed AbaThembu King Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo and Sitwayi traditional leader, Nkosi Ayanda Njemla’s blessings, Siyongwana opened his Siyongwana Initiation School at Sitwayi village in Mthatha in 2008.
“The king allowed me to circumcise two of his nephews at Bumbane Great Place in December 2008,” said Siyongwana.
He said every time he circumcised boys, he was doing so in memory of Damane and Boyce and other boys who had died while undergoing the rite.
Siyongwana’s initiation school compound is modern, nicely fenced with mesh wire, has a guardhouse, a two-roomed flat, with one room housing about 60 initiates and the other room used as a kitchen.
He has clean running water and ablution facilities.
He boasted that not a single initiate death has been reported in Ngqamakhwe.
“We learn about these only in the media. This custom does not kill. In Ngqamakhwe we really don’t know what kills initiates. Maybe it’s the people or neglect from them,” said Siyongwana.
Twenty-one initiates died in the province during the winter initiation season.
Fourteen of the deaths were in the OR Tambo district, with 11 of them in Nyandeni, which is one of the five local municipalities making up the district.
The 23 that went to Siyongwana’s initiation school went back home healthy.
“I hope my grandfather and the two boys admire what I am doing in their memory, and hope God will lead me all the way in my adventure to save lives and restore and uphold the essence of the custom of ulwaluko,” he said...