Officials bank on criminal justice system to help curb illegal initiation 'schools'

AT LEAST 20 young boys have died from initiation schools in the Eastern Cape since November 14, including seven who died after undergoing illegal procedures. 

Eastern Cape Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC Zolile Williams confirmed that 187 initiates were in hospital, 3827 were treated on site and there was one amputation. To date, 421 young boys have been circumcised illegally. 

As a result, some 41 people have been arrested including traditional surgeons, and traditional nurses.  

Williams decried the proliferation of illegal circumcisions, saying they were a “real threat” to efforts of having an incident free traditional male initiation season. 

“Part of the preparation included the premedical examination of 34 823 boys as they prepared to go to the bush. With all that done, the Provincial Initiation Task Team (PITT) declared that the province is ready to undertake the summer season of Ulwaluko. However, we unfortunately continue to experience a loss of this magnitude.”

Williams said they noted growing calls to introduce medical circumcision as an alternative to traditional male circumcision. 

“We recognise that the call is about saving the lives of young boys. As a government, we will continue tackling this challenge with all stakeholders and collectively, we work towards resolving it in the interest of lives and protecting the values and traditions across different groups of society.”

He said police had since the beginning of his season recorded 51 cases of which one is a murder case. 

“We now rely on the criminal justice system to process these individuals thoroughly, so that the outcomes may serve as a deterrent to those who continue to break the law.”

Cape Times