The Eastern Cape House of Traditional and Khoi San Leaders (ECHTKSL) and the provincial department of cooperative governance and traditional affairs (Cogta) have wrapped up the summer initiation season.
Nkosi Mpumalanga Gwadiso, chairperson of ECHTKSL, said they had put in place a monitoring and intervention strategy that focused on the promotion of safety of the initiates and curbed and managed complications related to circumcision, injuries and deaths.
“We conducted workshops in all districts on the application of health standards in a traditional setting including on the roles and responsibilities of parents, initiates and their nurses,” said Gwadiso.
“More than 50 additional nurses were contracted to assist in the monitoring of initiation schools. A total of 31 791 initiates were visited by our monitoring teams.
“We thank our teams for showing dedication during the winter and summer seasons of circumcision. Their efforts continue to make a difference towards the preservation of our age-old tradition of circumcision.”
MEC for Cogta Zolile Williams denounced the deaths of 22 initiates, saying they could have been avoided.
“Our district monitoring teams continued to monitor, assess and treat initiates on the spot for minor illness, septic wounds, skin necrosis and dehydration-related conditions. No child must die in the bush, because the practice does not kill,” Williams said.
He noted with disappointment that except a case of suicide in O.R Tambo district municipality and two drownings in Alfred Nzo district municipality, the causes of deaths have been associated with dehydration and mismanagement of wounds.
“Eight out of 10 deceased initiates in O.R Tambo were [from] illegal [initiation schools]. Only two initiates were [from] legal [initiation schools], one being the suicide case and another with a history of substance abuse.
“Illegal initiation schools must come to an end in our province. Parents must take full responsibility, so that we do not witness cases of assault, burn wounds, stabbing and food poisoning,” he said.
Williams also urged the police to speed up their investigations on the reported deaths.
Follow @SundayWorldZA on Twitter and @sundayworldza on Instagram, or like our Facebook Page, Sunday World, by clicking here for the latest breaking news in South Africa. To Subscribe to Sunday World, click here.
