Pretoria – Deputy Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Obed Bapela, has condemned the recent initiation deaths, calling for communities to report illegal schools.
Eleven youngsters have died since the 2014 winter initiation season started. There have been seven deaths in the Eastern Cape, one death in the Western Cape and three in Mpumalanga.
“Once more we call on the traditional leadership, parents and communities to be on alert and report illegal schools as the majority of the initiates die at these illegal schools,” said Deputy Minister Bapela on Thursday.
He urged traditional surgeons to work with the professional services offered by the Department of Health to avoid further deaths, some of which are due to dehydration and septic shock which can be handled if care is applied.
The Deputy Minister said family, parents and legal guardians had to play a central role in ensuring young men are psychologically and physically fit to undergo initiation.
“It is important to also ensure that the initiates obtain medical check-ups and also receive proper after care two weeks after the initiation as this is a critical time for recovery.”
He said owners of illegal initiation schools would be arrested and prosecuted.
Deputy Minister Bapela all the stakeholders are expected to play an active role in managing the customary practice.
“It is therefore important that collective efforts are made to rid initiations of bogus schools and commercialisation of the practice in the country.
“We call for the countdown to zero fatalities in initiation schools. Suitably qualified, appropriately trained and registered traditional surgeons must be allowed to perform circumcision on male initiates on approved and designated facilities by the appropriate authorities,” said Bapela.
To report illegal schools call:
- the Department of Health’s Collen Bonnecwe on 012 395 8021
- the Department of Traditional Affairs’ Modiegi Madiga on 082 822 5878
- the National House of Traditional Leaders’s Kgoshi Mahlangu on 071 461 0475 or Nkululeko Nxesi 072 530 8090
Last week Friday, the Deputy Minister launched the initiation season in Umtata, Eastern Cape with the provincial house of traditional leaders and MEC for Traditional Affairs.
The department will focus on initiation schools in the Eastern Cape, Mpumalanga, Western Cape and Limpopo where there is a high enrolment of initiates.
A total of 419 initiates died in 2010. In 2013, the number decreased by 100 due to measures agreed on and implemented with traditional leaders. – SAnews.gov.za
