Eight initiates have died in the Eastern Cape since the start of the traditional male circumcision season in June.
The death toll, which is expected to rise, was confirmed by parliament’s portfolio committee on cooperative governance and traditional affairs during an oversight visit to two initiation schools in Port St John’s in the Eastern Cape. The visits to various parts of the province started on Monday and will end on Friday.
The national initiation oversight committee, chaired by Fikile Xasa, said the deaths were recorded in the King Sabatha Dalindyebo (KSD) local municipality and the Mhlontlo local municipality.
“The committee will be visiting the KSD municipality tomorrow [Friday] as part of its oversight programme. The committee will be provided with additional information on the cause of these deaths,” said Xasa.
Xasa said the committee was also informed about 68 illegal initiation schools in the OR Tambo district, noting that it expected the traditional surgeons and nurses implicated in the running of the schools to be arrested and charged.
The committee further commended a decision by Matatiele in the Alfred Nzo district municipality not to open initiation schools this year due to bad weather conditions.
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