During the December initiation season, 34 initiates died in the Eastern Cape. This is one of many deaths reported every year, especially in the Eastern Cape where there is souurage of illegal initiation schools. According to the provincial Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, the past few years have seen a rise in illegal initiation schools in the Eastern Cape. The Congress of Traditional Leaders of South Africa (Contralesa) has called for parents to be cautious against illegal initiation schools that perform botched circumcision.

CHANCE TAKERS

Contralesa president Kgoshi Mathupa Mokoena said there is a problem of young people who graduated a few years back but want to be at the forefront of conducting initiations at these schools in the Eastern Cape. "Those guys are inexperienced and they know nothing about the initiation process because they have just graduated from it and that is the problem we are facing. As Contralesa we are saying this is a normal challenge but also a national disaster and it needs extraordinary measures. These are actual extraordinary measures, this means that we identify those people who are given a responsibility to look after those kids to be punished severely and they should be arrested as soon as possible," Mokoena said.

EXTRA CAUTION

Mokoena confirmed that 34 initiates died in the last season from the OR Tambo region in the Eastern Cape. "We want to make the Eastern Cape our pilot project to see exactly why they are not doing good during initiation seasons. I have been part of initiation schools since 1970 and you cannot treat children the way we were treated. We were told that some of the initiates are deprived of water for not less than three weeks and some of the traditional surgeons are inexperienced," he said. Mpumalanga Gwaduso from the Eastern Cape House of Traditional Leaders said that the parents have the primary responsibility to choose credible traditional nurses and surgeons to ensure their son's safety. "Parents need to also regularly visit the initiation schools so that they can see if there is an immediate danger to their children's lives," he said

PROVINCIAL WOES

In July this year, about 40 boys were kidnapped and forced into initiation camps in the North West. While about 40 initiates were rescued, the parents of those who were mutilated are calling for justice. Mpho Mmusi, one of the affected parents, said:?My 16-year-old son was taken to the bush by someone we don't know. And that person initiated them without our consent as parents because our children were returned to us with swollen feet and very severe genital wounds that need medical attention,? said Mmusi. However, two men were arrested and faced charges of kidnapping and contravention of the Custom Initiation Act. Also in July, an initiate lost his life in Tshwane in an illegal initiation camp and close to 150 initiates were rescued. Spokesperson Annikie Lelaka said emergency services were called to a botched circumcision in Mshongoville, and confirmed 130 people were taken to hospitals in and around Pretoria. ?After the children were rescued from these illegal schools and sent to different hospitals, some were collected by their parents from the Atteridgville police station,? she said.

MEANWHILE

Lusikisiki police are investigating a murder at an illegal circumcision school. Eastern Cape spokesperson Warrant Officer Majola Nkohli said a 20-year-old initiate died at Nkunzini, in the Magwa tea plantation area, on Thursday 28 November due to an assault by unknown males at the school. The school was previously shut down as the operator was not a registered traditional surgeon but he reopened it illegally. "The suspect is known and is at large as police are looking for him so that he can be arrested for unlawful circumcision and murder."