COGTA EC hosts a two day Manhood Summit
The Eastern Cape Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) through the Eastern Cape House of Traditional Leaders (ECHTL) has been entrusted by the Eastern Cape Executive Council since 2010 to spearhead, to implement the Initiation Monitoring Intervention Strategy (IMIS) against the abuse and the death of initiates (abakhwetha) during the winter and summer seasons. In this regard, the ECHTL one is its responsibilities is to be the culture, custodians and traditions including the age old custom of ukwaluka.
The IMIS is a response many challenges facing the custom and restore and retain its dignity and reverence by the nations of the world. Notwithstanding the successes stories in the implementation of the IMIS to ensure the safe passage of the boys to manhood, illegal methods are being used resulting in deaths, injury and abuse.
The Department therefore found the status quo in the practice of initiation as the reason and rational to assemble all key stakeholders (including victims) once again to an inclusive summit to discuss chiefly, the meaning of manhood and the values that underpin it.
The summit also seeks to assess and review the impact of the current strategies as well as to complement those that are still functional and relevant. The overriding objective of the summit is to respond to the perpetual outcry of parents, communities and the South African nation at large the serious challenges tearing this important custom apart. These include misbehavour and lack of respect by some young men especially after having undergone the initiation process. In the final analysis, the summit must come up with a uniform curriculum with core values of manhood for implementation across the Province to contribute towards social cohesion and the broader nation building agenda of government through responsible manhood and citizenship.
The details of the event are as follows;
Date: 25-26 Septmember 2015
Venue: Dans Lodge, Mthatha
Time: 09h00
Members of the media are invited to attend.
To confirmation, please contact Mr Welile Jack on 0825596183 or via email on Welile.jack@eclgta.gov.za
Enquiries:
Mamnkeli Ngam
Cell: 071 685 7981
