The minister said this as reports of deaths and amputations of manhood in some young initiates resulting from circumcision rituals that have gone wrong in the Eastern Cape reached him over the past week.
“The deaths are totally unnecessary. Parents need to talk to their children more about the serious risks they subject themselves to when they go to these illegal initiation schools, in the name of a long honoured cultural practice. The police also must be even stronger in acting against those who bring this cultural practice into disrepute through greed and a complete disregard for tradition, resulting in the horrific deaths and maiming of our young people,” Minister Shiceka said.
He said if anyone was found to be running an initiation school without authorisation from the local traditional leader and government, police should arrest them immediately.
“Our young people should be encouraged to only attend legal and reputable initiation schools that have the blessings of local traditional leaders, government and their parents,” said the minister.
A meeting between the Department of Traditional Leaders and the Eastern Cape Provincial House of Traditional Leaders is being organised to discuss the issue. The minister said all affected and impacted stakeholders in society needed to be brought together to find sustainable solutions that would also respect the culture and tradition.
“The department has also submitted a policy paper on the traditional practice of initiation which seeks to introduce the accountability of traditional leaders for this practice, as well as look into the general management of initiation schools and the criminalisation and harsh sentencing for those found to be running illegal initiation schools,” Minister Shiceka said.
The minister said he was still considering the paper, which would be synchronised with other initiatives by other spheres or government and sector departments to deal with the issue in a more sustainable manner and prevent further deaths during each initiation season.
For more information contact:
Vuyelwa Qinga Vika
Tel: 012 334 0993/5
Cell: 082 877 3898
Source: Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs
