Plea for a safer rite season

Stakeholders meet to map strategies to fight illegal circumcisions

As about 30,000 boys in the Eastern Cape prepare to head to the mountain next week for the start of summer initiation season, the government and royals have made a clarion call that the young men return home healthy and strong.
Cooperative governance and traditional affairs MEC Fikile Xasa and the newly launched Eastern Cape Kings/Queens Forum said that all community leaders must ensure that only boys 18 years and older underwent the rite.
AmaXhosa King Mpendulo Sigcawu said: “Ulwaluko [traditional circumcision] is a societal matter that requires all stakeholders to pull together for the safety of the initiates and the credibility of the rite.
“However, parents should take the lead and traditional leaders should act as custodians of the custom to ensure nothing goes wrong.”
Western Mpondoland King Ndamase Ndamase said any death – whether at a legal or illegal school – was a negative reflection on the cultural practice.
Xasa said that the Forum, Cogta and the EC House of Traditional Leaders (ECHTL) have partnered with NGOs to mitigate the deaths and injuries of initiates during the coming summer traditional initiation season. The MEC said in the past 10 years, about 800 initiates have died and scores had penile amputation.
On Thursday, the Provincial Initiation Task Team (PITT) had a meeting in Bhisho. In attendance were representatives from various key stakeholders including traditional initiation forums, police, sector departments and NGOs.
ECHTL CEO Mzi Nkantsu said: “The partnership with the NGOs is an effort to ensure the safe passage of boys to manhood and further mitigate the challenges facing the initiation custom in our province. Through this partnership, we have trained iingcibi and amakhankatha throughout the province to sharpen their skills on the work they do.”
NGOs involved include Right to Care, Vusizwe and the Society for Family Health. They will provide support during the monitoring visits at municipal level, including the marketing and publicity campaigns.
Nkantsu said 460 traditional surgeons and 520 traditional nurses have been trained throughout the province. He said sessions have been organised to empower traditional leaders to adhere to the provisions of the Customary Male Initiation Practice Act.
Nkantsu said the monitoring teams are ready for the season, except for the Sarah Baartman District which continues to be affected by challenges that impact negatively on its functionality.
The forum and the ECHTL have noted with concern the lack of participation by some traditional leaders in the initiation monitoring programmes.
“As custodians of culture, customs and traditions, members of the house (ECHTL) have a responsibility to beef up the work of the monitoring teams for a death and injury free season. Our efforts alone will not succeed hence we call upon parents, families and communities at large to work with us to prevent unnecessary deaths and injuries during this period,” Nkantsu said.
The forum and ECHTL said the circumcision of underage boys remained a challenge in areas such as Matatiele and Mount Fletcher and this is a serious violation of the act.
“The act is very explicit that 18 years remains the official age limit for any boy who wants to be initiated. Those who violate the act must be arrested and have their days in court and finally serve their time in jail. The act is applicable throughout the province without exception,” said Nkantsu.
In June, Cogta deputy minister Obed Bapela said since 2006, hundreds of initiates have died and more than 1,000 lost their manhood countrywide...

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