At least 41 useless following initiation ceremonies in South Africa in simply two months
Traditional initiation is practiced by various ethnic groups in which young men are isolated at initiation schools and taught cultural values and responsibilities as they become adults
Dozens of young men died in South Africa in November and December following circumcision procedures linked to traditional initiation activities, the Associated Press reported.
Traditional initiation is practiced by various ethnic groups in South Africa, including Xhosa, Ndebele, Sotho and Venda communities, and is is a rite of passage into manhood. The return of initiates is often characterised by cultural celebrations.
The young men are isolated at initiation schools, which teach cultural values and responsibilities as they become adults. Circumcision is a part of the initiation process.
The South African government has been forced to intervene in the initiation schools through legislation after circumcisions resulted in the death of some initiates.
South Africa’s Traditional Affairs Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa said on Tuesday, December 30, that 41 initiates died during this year’s summer initiation which runs from November to December, during school holidays. Winter initiation schools run from June to July.
Hlabisa blamed the deaths on negligence by both the initiation schools and parents for not adhering to safety standards and medical advice. He said young men are sometimes told to avoid drinking water in order to heal faster.
“There is negligence in terms of meeting health standards in some of the initiation schools. If you take your child to an initiation school, you never make a follow-up, you do not monitor, you do not go there to see whether the child does drink water, you are placing your child at risk,” he said.
Schools are required to be registered with authorities, but this has not stopped the rise in illegal initiation schools where many of the deaths are reported.
Parents are expected to pay for their children’s acceptance into the school, a financial motivation to start an unregistered initiation school.
Hlabisa said 41 people have been arrested in relation to illegal initiation schools. Parents, who supplied wrong ages for their children to be admitted, are included in the figure.
Children 16 years or older may be admitted to initiation school with parental consent.
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