The Eastern Cape government says drastic measures are to be taken to curb the deaths of boys in traditional circumcision initiation schools.
Since the beginning of the winter circumcision season in June, 24 boys have died and more than 130 hospitalized.
Addressing the media in Bhisho on Wednesday, Premier Phumulo Masualle said in some instances where deaths have occurred, the boys did not have their parents consent to undertake the ritual and had been circumcised by illegal or inexperienced traditional surgeons.
Masualle says the provincial government will host a summit in September where parents, traditional leader, health officials and all others stakeholders involved, will seek solutions that will lead to the introduction of a Traditional Initiation Bill in the Eastern Cape.
Masualle says only four people have been arrested for the deaths because of lack of cooperation by communities in which the illegal surgeons stay.
For the Premier's full speech see below.
The winter traditional initiation season was launched on 20 June 2014, in Mthatha. The launch was attended by the MEC for the Department of Local Government and Traditional Affairs MEC Fikile Xasa, Deputy Minister of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Mr Obed Bapela and the Chairperson of the Eastern Cape House of Traditional leaders Nkosi Ngangomhlaba Matanzima.
The launch was preceded by community and stakeholder engagements sessions led by members of the House to raise awareness about the importance of premedical examination, the role of parents and families in the initiation process, amongst other things. Workshops were also held with iingcibi and amakhankatha to remind them about their roles and responsibilities to ensure the passage of our boys to manhood.
In the process of implementing the Initiation Monitoring Intervention Strategy (IMIS) we have sent our officials to the six (6) District Municipalities of our Province to visit and monitor initiation schools and prevent death of our young initiates.
It should be emphasised that whilst the practice of traditional initiation is not only the responsibility of government rather a family and societal matter, as a caring government of the people we decided to intervene to save lives lost due to negligence, criminal elements and the commercialisation of the practice.
Through the work of our monitoring teams more than 132 initiates have been sent to hospitals and rescue centres after their huts were demolished and closed down in the OR Tambo District.
As the leadership of the Province, we are noting with concern that since the launch of the season 24 confirmed young lives have been lost in the traditional rite of passage to mould boys into responsible men. We mourn the deaths of these young men and also convey our heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families.
We are aware that four arrests have been made in connection with these deaths in Libode. The suspects have appeared in court already.
The impact of premedical examination and the interventions by our monitoring teams is being felt in a positive manner, however more work still needs to be done. We have observed the following;
1.Non-involvement of parents, families and communities in the traditional initiation process of their children.
2. The continued death of initiates in our Province.
3. Lack of strong integration, co-ordination and alignment of our activities.
4. Mushrooming of illegal traditional initiation schools.
5. Slow pace in investigation and prosecution of initiation related cases.
To address the current challenges government will implement the following measures as a matter of urgency;
1. Centralise all traditional initiation schools in areas most affected by death of initiates. These will be taken care of by trained traditional nurses.
2. Amakomkhulu will be made centres of co-ordination for the registration of boys before they go for traditional initiation. The registration process will be opened from 01 August 2014 to 30 September 2014 for the December season.
3. Close monitoring of the registration process will be done by the Eastern Cape House of Traditional Leaders.
4. Thorough premedical screening process will be done by the Department of Health in October 2014 in all Amakomkhulu.
5. Government will soon be finalising the Traditional Initiation Bill which amongst other things seeks to put in place a regulatory framework to eliminate the commercialisation of the custom and illegal traditional initiation schools. The Bill will be finalised by end of September 2014.
6. A Summit on Traditional Initiation to be attended by key stakeholders is planned for September 2014 to consider new innovations to curb deaths of initiates. A Task Team will be assembled shortly to start preparations for the summit.
7.Post the Summit a Comprehensive Communication and Awareness Programme shall be rolled out in preparation for the Sumer season and beyond. The primary target being youth, iingcibi, amakhankatha, parents, traditional leaders, Councillors, Community Development Workers, Health Workers, Community Based Organisation, Non-Government Organisation, religious organisation, etc.
8. In an attempt to manage information flow and proactive media liaison, our department working with communicators from National and Provincial departments will be introducing media protocols applicable during the initiation seasons.
9. The Joint Operation Centre (JOC) to be situated at the offices of the South African Police Services (SAPS) in Zwelitsha will be introduced during this season as the nerve centre for information co-ordination, management and analysis from the monitoring teams on the ground throughout the Province. DLGTA remains the lead department to communicate all matters relating to traditional male initiation.
10. Government will introduce a single date for the commencement of the traditional initiation season effective from the December 2014 summer season. Non adherence to pronounced date will result in the arrest and prosecution of offenders.
11. If all the above initiatives fail, government will be left with no option but to introduce compulsory Male Medical Circumcision (MMC) in all the affected areas medium to long term.
We owe it to ourselves to work together to save our old age tradition from extinction. This is our heritage. We must protect and preserve it at all costs.
