Committee on COGTA saddened by passing of 32 initiates in Eastern Cape
The Portfolio Committee on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs notes with shock and sadness the reports on the passing of initiates in the Eastern Cape Province during the December 2021 initiation season. So far, 32 initiation related fatalities have been reported.
The committee notes that the spike in initiation deaths coincides with the relaxation of regulations that imposed a temporary ban on male customary initiation.
It is of great concern to the committee that this tragedy continues unmitigated despite its recent series of engagements with the relevant male customary initiation role players, both nationally and provincially, in a bid to hold those responsible to account. The committee will continue to intensify oversight over the implementation of the Customary Initiation Act, which became effective in September this year.
The Act provides for the establishment of National and Provincial Initiation Oversight Structures which will be a critical intervention in the male customary initiation crisis.
The committee calls on the relevant departments, law enforcement agencies and traditional leaders to increase both preventative and consequence management efforts to end this unnecessary and preventable carnage of young men permanently.
It also envisages to convene an urgent male customary initiation Indaba to share best practice on conducting this ancient rite of passage safely. For many communities, this rite is an important part of their cultural identity.
Every effort must therefore be made to ensure safety of the initiates and to prevent death from becoming normalised.
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Name: Faith Ndenze (Ms)
Parliamentary Communication Services
Tel: 021 403 8738
Cell: 081 377 0686
E-mail: fndenze@parliament.gov.za
