Pretoria - The National Prosecution Authority (NPA) says initiation schools must abide by the Children's Act when performing circumcision on boys.
Those who fail could face criminal charges in line with the Children’s Act, NPA spokesperson Nathi Mncube said.
Section 12 of the Act stipulates that only boys over the age of 16 may be circumcised, unless there is a religious or medical reason to do otherwise.
It also stipulates that the circumcision must be performed by either a medical practitioner or a person who has been trained to perform circumcisions and who has knowledge of the child’s social and cultural practices.
Furthermore, the circumciser must perform the circumcision in a sterile environment and ensure the proper disposal of human tissue.
“Any person guilty of contravening this section will be liable to a term of imprisonment up to 10 years, a fine, or a fine and imprisonment. A repeat offender may be liable to a term of up to 20 years imprisonment a fine, or a fine and imprisonment,” Mncube said.
In instances where death happens due to negligence, Mncube said the responsible persons will be charged with culpable homicide.
The total number of young boys that have lost their lives since the start of the initiation season has risen to 26. - SAnews.gov.za
