Pretoria – Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Pravin Gordhan has launched the 2015 winter initiation season themed “Zero Tolerance on Initiation Deaths”.
Minister Gordhan called upon all South Africans to work with government to ensure that the initiation season becomes a safe one.
The draft policy on the Customary Practice of Initiation was approved by Cabinet for release to solicit public comment.
The Minister communicated with all MECs to ensure that the draft policy imperatives are taken into account when the initiation season starts:
- To ensure that acceptable norms and standards are provided in respect of initiation practice;
- To provide for structures at national and provincial levels to ensure that initiation takes place within a controlled environment; and
- To protect the lives of initiates.
Criteria for approval of applications
An application must be submitted by a Traditional leader who wishes to establish an initiation school within their area of jurisdiction. The application must be accompanied by the following information:
- Confirmation of participation by traditional surgeons and caregivers with appropriate experience;
- Confirmation that the traditional surgeons and caregivers have attended and completed the workshop session conducted by the Department of Health on acceptable health standards and caregiving requirements;
- Confirmation that the Initiates have been screened and found to be in good health. Further that initiates on medication will continue to receive their medication under proper supervision during the initiation process.
State of readiness of provinces
Of the 281 applications for the establishment of initiation schools received, only 204 were approved in Limpopo. In Mpumalanga, 38 Traditional Councils have been given permission to establish Initiation Schools. Thirteen initiation schools are currently operating with 413 initiates having been pre-screened.
In the Western Cape, 32 applications were approved, 37 caregivers and 12 traditional surgeons are currently in a three-day workshop which started on 10 June.
A total of 302 applications were received in Gauteng, but only 129 so far have been approved, while others are still under consideration.
In the Free State, traditional leaders are clustered in one area, mainly in QwaQwa and Thaba Nchu. There are three committees at local, district and provincial level that are working with the Provincial House of Traditional Leaders.
The Eastern Cape has a provincial task team comprising of the Departments of Health, Social Development and Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Sports and Recreation as well as Education and other stakeholders.
The Provincial House of Traditional Leaders is at the centre of driving the initiation practice. The House has developed an action plan for the upcoming initiation season.
The Province will have a walkabout on 19 June as part of the awareness campaign. On 20 June, the province will launch the initiation season. No statistics with regard to applications and approvals are available at this stage.
In the North West, there are no statistics with regard to applications and approvals available at this stage.
KwaZulu-Natal does not practice the initiation cultural practice, however, King Zwelithini launched the Medical Male Circumcision Programme under the Department of Health.
Provincial Initiation Monitoring Team
Minister Gordhan said they have established in each province, a Provincial Initiation Monitoring Team, chaired by the Chairperson of the Provincial House of Traditional Leaders.
The team consists of representatives from the departments of Health, Education, Social Development, Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, South African Police Services, National Prosecuting Authority and the Traditional Surgeons and Caregivers.
He said all provincial structures are coordinated by the National Initiation Task Team chaired by Inkosi Mahlangu, Deputy Chairperson of the House of Traditional Leaders.
According to the Minister, a National Team is currently visiting all provinces to assess the state of readiness and to ensure that effective systems are established before the commencement of the initiation season.
All matters pertaining to illegal initiation schools and abductions should be reported to the South African Police Services Provincial Coordinators.
For information regarding registered initiation schools and their relevant contact details, the public can contact Sam Khandlhela on 082 782 3754. – SAnews.gov.za
