Picture: Ian Landsberg/African News Agency (ANA)
Cape Town – Traditional leaders in communities that practise initiations want to be part of the decision-making when the Customary Initiation Bill is passed, the standing committee on community safety, cultural affairs and sport heard yesterday.
The bill aims to protect, promote and regulate initiations by providing acceptable norms and standards at provincial and national levels, according to committee chairperson Reagen Allen.
It also provided for the protection of life and the prevention of any abuse; provided clarity on the various responsibilities, roles and functions of the key role-players in customary initiation; and made provision for the effective regulation of initiation schools, said Allen.
But interested parties called on more clauses to be added to the bill during yesterday’s public hearing.
Council of Nguni People chairperson, Chief Lungelo Nokwaza, said a clause should be added to the bill allowing for leaders in communities that practise initiations to be part of the decision-making on a provincial level.
“Not including members of the community would mean that they are excluded, and experience and expertise would be lost if we do not participate in the relevant structures.
’’We are not opposed to there being only representation from a national structure, but they will not understand the dynamics of the province as well, and they may not understand that initiations in the Western Cape are successful, with no traumatic experiences leading up to deaths.”
State law adviser Clara Williams said they had a number of gripes with the bill relating to issues including the age of the initiates, confidentiality, co-operation and collaboration between provinces as well as abuse and discrimination.
With regard to abuse, she said they were concerned as the bill referred to abuse in a broad sense.
“We are concerned as it refers to physical and mental abuse, but we think other abuse like sexual abuse should be included in the bill.
’’The Children’s Act obliges anybody to report abuse of a child and in the bill, it is not clear. It has two clauses dealing with abuse but one of them says there must be evidence - whereas in the Children’s Act, it protects children even if there is no evidence and says that abuse must be reported. The act gives a better or more detailed protection and we believe the bill should be aligned to that as well.”
The deputy director of the Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Danie van der Merwe, said they were not able to respond pending the submission process and did not want to be seen as trying to influence that in any way.
Interested persons and organisations are encouraged to submit written inputs on the bill to the procedural officer ,Waseem Matthews, either by email to wmatthews@wcpp.gov.za or as a WhatsApp voice note on 076 633 3133 by Monday.
Cape Times