At least 41 young men have died as a result of circumcision procedures during traditional initiation rites in South Africa in November and December, ABC News reports, writes UNN.
Details
Traditional initiation is a rite of passage to manhood for young men, practiced annually by various ethnic groups in Africa, including in certain regions of South Africa. These include the Xhosa, Ndebele, Sotho, and Venda communities.
Typically, young men are isolated in initiation schools where they are taught cultural values and responsibilities as they mature. The circumcision part of the initiation annually leads to the deaths of some participants, forcing the government to intervene through legislative regulation.
Laws require initiation schools to register with authorities, but this has not stopped the proliferation of illegal initiation schools, which are linked to a significant number of deaths.
Parents are expected to pay for their children's stay at the initiation school for a set period, which for some becomes a financial motivation to open unregistered initiation schools.
Initiation periods usually fall during the winter (June–July) and summer (November–December) school holidays.
South Africa's Minister of Traditional Affairs, Velankosini Hlabisa, told local broadcasters on Tuesday that 41 participants died during this year's summer initiation. He blamed negligence on the part of both initiation schools, including registered ones, and parents — for failing to adhere to safety standards and medical recommendations.
Hlabisa noted that among the unverified advice often given to young men is the recommendation to avoid drinking water, supposedly for faster healing.
Some initiation schools show negligence in adhering to medical standards. If you send your child to an initiation school and do not exercise any control, do not visit, do not check if the child is drinking water, you are putting them in danger.
The Eastern Cape province has been identified as the epicenter of deaths among initiation participants, with 21 cases recorded there.
Hlabisa also reported that 41 people had been arrested in connection with the activities of illegal initiation schools, including parents who provided incorrect ages for their children to be enrolled.
Under South African law, only children aged 16 and over can be admitted to an initiation school with parental consent.
Traditional initiation is widely practiced in African communities, and the return of initiates is usually accompanied by joyous cultural celebrations.
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