Traditional leaders outraged by decision to suspend initiations

Initiation schools where young boys have died this season have been suspended for a year — although no-one told Eastern Cape traditional leaders.

The death of 23 initiates since the start of the summer season has prompted the Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities (CRL) to suspend these schools and their practice.

The CRL is a constitutional body that is responsible for ensuring freedom of culture, religion and language in SA  are protected.

Schools in four Eastern Cape districts —  OR Tambo (Ingquza Hill and Mhlontlo), Joe Gqabi (Elundini),  Chris  Hani (Inxuba Yethemba, Sakhisizwe, Engcobo and  Enoch Mgijima) and Sarah Baartman (Camdeboo) — are affected. 

At a media briefing in Johannesburg on Thursday, commission chairperson professor Luka Mosama said the commission had “observed with dismay” the deaths of the young people.

The CRL said initiates at these schools would be “rescued and removed” immediately. It also called on fathers to accompany boys to initiation schools.

On Thursday afternoon there was some confusion over whether all initiation schools in these districts would be affected, but Mosama said he had been "misunderstood".

He told the  Dispatch: ''The  ban will not apply to  all schools in a  region, but only to those schools where  initiates died. We were referring to specific initiation schools where there have been deaths, not the entire  region.  

"In the OR Tambo region there are 10 initiation schools. There have been deaths in two schools. The ban applies to these two schools only. It will not apply to those where there have been no deaths." 

The decision has outraged Eastern Cape traditional leaders.

Nkosi Mwelo Nonkonyana, the provincial chairperson of Contralesa and the Eastern Cape House of Traditional Leaders, said they were only made aware of the CRL's announcement when they were called by reporters.  

Nonkonyana said: “They are declaring war. There will be resistance. All of what they say will be ignored. In fact, it will be like they said nothing. This is an insult to us.

"The CRL Commission is one of the Chapter 9 institutions we have high respect for. We would have at least expected that they would respect the constitution and laws of the republic. Traditional initiation rests squarely with the institution of traditional leadership. I have never been consulted by them as either head of the house and Contralesa.”

Contralesa provincial chairperson Nkosi Mkhanyiseli Dudumayo was equally aggrieved.  

“No initiation schools will be closed. We were not consulted and informed about this. We will continue doing our jobs, I don't know what you are talking about. How can the CRL Commission ever think of suspending initiation? On what grounds?''  Dudumayo said.

The CRL decision comes only days after  health minister Dr Zweli  Mkhize said  the  government was considering  introducing  male medical  circumcision to the  Eastern Cape as a means to curb initiation deaths.

Earlier this month, Nelson Mandela Academic Hospital head of urology Dr Mbuyiselo Madiba called for traditional circumcision in the Eastern Cape to be banned for a year and replaced with medical circumcision.

Madiba also called on traditional leaders to accept responsibility for the deaths and hospitalisation of initiates due to botched circumcisions.

“Botched circumcisions don’t need an ordinary medical practitioner, they need a specialist in urology. As things stand, none of the medical practitioners working with other stakeholders are urologists,” Madiba said at the time. - Additional reporting TimesLIVE