Deputy Minister for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Mr Obed Bapela, has noted with sadness the deaths of two initiates, who passed on in Verena and Witbank, in the Mpumalanga Province. The Deputy Minister has extended his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families.
The Department of Traditional Affairs last week launched the winter initiation season guided by the theme, “We Love Our Tradition, We Value Life of Our Youth” in pursuit of the “Zero Deaths campaign.”
“The department and its stakeholders have also created an initiation hotline, where people who witness wrongdoings in the name of initiation will be able to call and report the incidents. The number is 0800 111 166. We also encourage our youths to talk about initiation issues,” says the Deputy Minister.
Today, the Deputy Minister is in the Eastern Cape, to attend the Initiation Imbizo Ngolwaluko that is being championed by the Provincial House of Traditional Leaders. Motor vehicles for monitoring initiation schools will be handed over.
Deputy Minister Bapela says that the country has sadly witnessed the unnecessary loss of life of many initiates in the past year. This prompted an outcry from all stakeholders, including communities and government, to suggest interventions that would end these deaths.
Government has renewed its efforts this year in pursuit of the Zero Deaths campaign. He said government and traditional leaders will work hard to make it a point that no more lives are lost under the pretext of initiation. He also urge traditional leaders to get updates on daily basis regarding the conditions of initiates, and furthermore that there should be medical doctors standby to attend to any situation that requires medical attention.
“One challenge is where parents are not willing to open criminal cases of kidnapping of their children. It becomes very sad when the young ones lose their lives or become disfigured because of botched circumcisions,” said Deputy Minister Bapela.
The Deputy Minister thanked the Cabinet for having approved the Initiation Policy, which will allow for the prosecution of those perpetrators running illegal initiation schools. He further calls on all stakeholders to play their part in ensuring the safety of the initiates and protecting cultural practices by reporting illegal and bogus initiation schools to the nearest police stations across the country.
He reiterated that people should use the hotline to report the all wrongdoings.
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