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Two young initiates have died since the start of the winter initiation season in the Eastern Cape earlier this month. Eastern Cape Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC Fikile Xasa has sent his condolences to the families of the boys who died at Nyandeni, in Buntingville and at Mthatha.
Government spokesman Mamkeli Ngam reports that a traditional healer has been arrested for the illegal circumcision of a 28 year-old man at Bisho.
The healer is due to appear in the Zwelitsha magistrate's court on Wednesday. Initiation Monitoring Teams have so far rescued close on 100 initiates from illegal schools in Nyandeni, Mhlontlo and Buffalo City municipal areas.
Five initiation schools have been closed and 15 initiates have been admitted to St Barnabas Hospital for medical attention.
Ngam said that at Nyandeni, Libode alone, 84 initiates who were circumcised illegally were rescued and taken to the Nyandeni Great Place for further medical attention.
Three traditional surgeons in the area have been arrested and are due to appear in court soon to face charges of unlawful circumcision.
