Traditional Affairs on winter initiation season

The winter season signals the start of the initiation period in the South African calendar which will see many young males across the country preparing to take an important step in their lives, entering the rights of passage to adulthood. This is a major and sacred stage in the African culture which sees the transition from child to adulthood.

In the past, the country has sadly witnessed loss of life of many initiates, and this prompted an outcry from all stakeholders including communities and government to suggest interventions that would curb this scourge. In 2015, during winter and summer Initiation seasons, approximately 101 initiates lost their lives (most in the Eastern Cape) and in the last 10 years there has been an estimated 1000 penile amputations.

For this year, the Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Ministry and the institution of traditional leadership working with other stakeholders will run with a message that would be consistent throughout the initiation Season, with a clear objective - “We Love Our Tradition We Value Life of Our Youth” in pursuit of the “Zero Deaths campaign”.

The 2016 initiation season has already begun in many areas whereas others will start during the schools recess between June and July, but will be guided by this message, the cabinet approved initiation policy and the National 12 point plan. We want to wish all the young people that will be going to initiation schools well for this winter season. Furthermore we would like to thank the Traditional leaders and provincial stakeholders who have already started with the awareness campaigns ensuring that monitoring structures are established and are functional.

The department and its stakeholders have also created an initiation hotline where people who witness wrong doings in the name of initiation will be able to call and report the incidents - 0800 111 166 and hashtag – zero tolerance on initiation deaths.

Again, we have held several meetings with the National Director of Public Prosecution, South African Police Services (SAPS), the national initiation task team and the Ingoma Forum, aiming at discussing and reducing the high numbers of fatalities and ensure that perpetrators are brought to book without delay. We will work with everyone one in the justice and security cluster including the Hawks to deal with the wrong doings. We will continue to close illegal schools like we did last year.

Many would agree that the safety of our young men and boys is not the sole responsibility of government but a societal responsibility. We call on every parent and to play a part by ensuring that their loved ones return home safely by only using legal initiation schools. Responsible schools will not take any boy without the consent of his parents and only operate within government health guidelines.

Our anger about the many lives that were destroyed due to botched procedures should move us to more action than before. We can no longer afford to fold our arms while the young initiates continue to die, or are forever disfigured.

We should differentiate between the cultural from the medical circumcision aspect, and that government still needs to discuss further with the traditional leaders on this issue. We cannot allow this common arrangements where people who are not well trained and not experienced, abuse initiates and treat them inhumanly which results in the deaths of the initiates. We will continue to work with the Justice Cluster to ensure that people who kidnap young men, those who open these schools for commercialisation and those who open illegal initiation schools are dealt with accordingly. At this stage, SAPS has established provincial coordinators for initiation with contacts details for communities to report any unlawful practices.

Provincial Coordinators: Initiation

South Africans are urged to report illegal initiation schools to law enforcement agencies so that owners can be arrested and prosecuted. We appreciate the cases that have been opened and those that are awaiting trial. However, two weeks ago, the Witbank Magistrate court sentenced a traditional surgeon to five years for the death of an initiate as well as contravening section 12 subsection 8 of the Children’s Act 38 of 2005. This is a sign of government hard at work. Thanks to the National Prosecuting Authority which have been mandated to ensure full compliance with the law and prosecute those found contravening it when performing circumcision.

Government is confident as the cabinet has approved the policy which will become law very soon. With it, we will set common standards and restore the integrity of the traditional initiation practice. And to make it very clear, we will continue to close all illegal schools and work with police to arrest the perpetrators. We will criminalise the activities that result in young people losing their lives. The law will help us to condemn the organised crime where criminals abduct children and take them by force to illegal initiation schools and arrest them.

From the departmental perspective, we have dedicated a team that will work on issues of initiation for both winter and summer seasons. This team will work with the national task team in monitoring initiation activities in different areas. The team will help to curb the high number of deaths that we had last year as follows:

Winter Season: 44 deaths

Summer season: 57 deaths

Breakdown

Eastern Cape: 40 (Chris Hani 15, Joe Gqabi 8, Alfred Nzo 6, OR Tambo 6, Amathole 4, Bafollo City 01)

North West: 2

Gauteng: 01

Northern Cape: 3

Western Cape: 2

Free State: 7

Total 57

Total deaths in 2015: 101 deaths

The National Chairperson of Initiation Task Team convened a national task team meeting in early April 2016 attended by all stakeholders including provinces. Emanating from the National Task Team meeting, provinces started with their preparations including provincial Outreach campaigns led by MECs and traditional leaders.

In the Eastern Cape

This is where we have experienced high numbers of deaths in the past. For this year, a circular was issued for District Plans in May in preparation for the upcoming Season. We are working with national and local Radio stations on awareness campaigns, where we have launched hotline recently at Mount Frere (Kwa-Baca), a process that was led by Nkosi Matanzima and Nkosi Mahlangu

Traditional leaders in Eastern Cape including Imbumba Yamakhosikazi Komkhulu continue with the successful Outreach programmes one of them was in Bhizana where various stakeholders have been engaged ranging from the youth, parents and traditional leaders. We are running a parallel programme today where there is an initiation launch at Chris Hani by the Initiation Forum.

We will again on 7 June 2016, have an Initiation Imbizo Ngolwaluko Championed by the House of Traditional leaders, where vehicles for monitoring initiation schools will be provided. National Task Team will ensure that the approved national policy form the basis for the 2016 Winter Initiation Season going forward until the legislative framework becomes law.

Free State

The province has received no application or indication to conduct Winter Initiation School in 2016.

Gauteng

Winter Initiation Season starts on 24 June – 30 July 2016. Even though the provincial department does not have a legislation on initiation, there are municipal by-laws except the City of Joburg. We have requested an intervention in the City as it is one of our hotspots.

In terms of preparations, we held an Initiation Workshop conducted with key stakeholders in Benoni in March 2016. We also conducted workshops in Tshwane and Merafong. We did community campaigns through Radio Stations and dissemination of information in schools and flyers.

Traditional surgeons workshop on health aspects was also conducted and led by the Department of Health including Provincial Health Departments. Provincial Monitoring Teams established and will visit all initiation schools.

KwaZulu-Natal (KZN)

It is important to indicate that the majority of communities in the KZN practice medical circumcision instead of customary cultural initiation. This is in line with the call by His Excellency, King Goodwill Zwelithini of the Zulu nation.

It is equally important to indicate that there are traditional communities who practice cultural initiation in terms of their custom, culture and tradition. The following districts where cultural initiation is practiced in the province have been run successfully without fatalities and serious challenges in the past. There is no provincial legislation yet, they are guided by national framework. Awareness Campaigns were targeted to start earlier and to be finalised by April 2016.

Limpopo

This province is a shining example of good cultural initiation practice where traditional leaders take the lead and responsibility to promote accountability. The province has an impressive record of running cultural initiation schools. Traditional leadership at all levels in the province have institutionalised the practice with effective governance systems. We want to commend them and encourage them to keep to that standard.

In terms of preparations, a Circular calling for applications was released in December 2015, closing date was 15 April 2016 in the Vhembe, Capricorn and Waterberg regions. This was followed by an Action Plan that was developed and distributed to all the parties involved and implemented accordingly.

Challenges that were reported in different areas will be dealt with soon. Dates for the launch will be announced by the MEC and the province is ready for the 2016 Winter Initiation Season.

Mpumalanga

We started on a bad footing where we already had an unregistered school reported in May 2016. This prompted he National Initiation Chairperson, the NPA and the DG to intervene, supported by the police.  It has been reported that the initiates in this bogus school have completed the season and no fatalities or anomalies have been reported.

King Makhosoke has already started with the initiation season and initiates are estimated at almost 5000. The process of successful prosecution of the offenders during 2013 Winter Initiation Season has commenced.

North West

The season in North West starts on 10 June – 9 July 2016, submission of applications started in April to be considered by the MEC by end of May 2016. No details yet on number of schools and initiates. Provincial Task Team has been established, led by Kgosi Maotwe and includes key departments, such as Health Department, Social Department, Cogta.

The Gazetted Provincial Initiation Schools Regulations are currently implemented to facilitate applications and approvals. Workshops are ongoing for publicity, especially in hotspot areas. There are also challenges of charging exorbitant fees by the owners.

Northern Cape

Initiation will be conducted in three (3) of the five (5) districts this winter. The Bill on Initiation is before the legislature for finalisation before the Summer Initiation Season commences. Initiation is led by the Department of Health and will conduct awareness campaigns in the 3 districts. There are no details yet regarding, specific initiation period, number of schools and enrolled initiates.

Western Cape

Winter Initiation Season in 2016 is between May – July 2016. The number of expected initiates is 500 in 30 initiation schools. A monitoring team has been established.  The practitioners have been taken on the process to be followed on the use land for initiation. Advocacy Plans and Awareness Campaigns will be conducted using flyers and broadcasting the official start of the initiation season. There is also a draft policy to declare initiation sites as heritage sites.

Challenges around initiation

The Draft National Policy on the Customary Practice of Initiation in South Africa identified the challenges around initiation schools that lead to fatalities. These include not adhering to stringent quality health standards, unqualified traditional surgeons and schools often not having safety measures in place.

Other causes of deaths during initiation are pneumonia, dehydration due to not drinking enough water and deprivation, assault, botched circumcision and other conditions related to mental sicknesses. It is in this matter that initiates and care givers are advised to drink lots of water before the initiation, during and after to prevent dehydration.

The rise of illegal initiation schools over the past few years has been a worrying trend. There have been horrific stories about botched circumcisions which have led to an increase in the number of initiates dying or being left permanently disfigured. In the past years, the Department of Health was prompted to reach an agreement with the Congress of Traditional Leaders of South Africa to cover the cost of doctors chosen by traditional leaders to carry out circumcisions at initiation schools. Doctors in Limpopo, Mpumalanga and in the OR Tambo district in the Eastern Cape have been contracted.

Other support provided by the Health Department includes screening for all initiates at approved legal initiation schools, as well as the providing medical consumables and transport for initiation monitoring teams.

Conclusion

We all have to play our part and ensure that these schools become places of safety and adhere to norms and standards of initiation. Working together we can put an end to unnecessary deaths and injuries by putting the safety of our boys and young men first and only use legal initiation schools.

Enquiries:
Legadima Leso
Cell: 083 378 9495