Minister Pravin Gordhan launches 2015 winter initiation season

Minister Pravin Gordhan launched the 2015 winter initiation season which is themed “Zero Tolerance on Initiation Deaths”. The launch took place in Cape Town post the President’s Coordinating Council meeting.

The draft policy on the Customary Practice of Inititiation was approved by Cabinet for release to solicit public comment. The Minister communicated with all MECs to ensure that the draft policy imperatives are taken into account when the initiation season starts:

• to ensure that we provide acceptable norms and standards in respect of initiation practice
• to provide for structures at national and provincial levels to ensure that initiation takes place within a controlled environment; and
• to protect the lives of initiates.

Provincial Initiation Monitoring Team

We have established in each province a Provincial Initiation Monitoring Team, chaired by the Chairperson of the Provincial House of Traditional Leaders. This Team consists of representatives from the following institutions:

1. Department of Health;
2. Department of Education
3. Department of Social Development;
4. Department of Cooperative Governence and Traditional Affairs;
5. South African Police Service;
6. The National Prosecuting Authority; and
7. Traditional surgeons and caregivers.

Criteria for approval of applications

An application must be submitted by a traditional leader who wishes to establish an initiation school within their area of jurisdiction:

The application must have the following information:

1. Confirmation of participation by traditional surgeons and caregivers with appropriate experience
2. Confirmation that the traditional surgeons and caregivers have attended and completed the workshop session conducted by the Department of Health on acceptable health standards and caregiving requirements
3. Confirmation that the Initiates have been screened and found to be in good health.  Further that initiates on medication will continue to receive their medication under proper supervision during the initiation process.

State of readiness per province

• Limpopo: Out of 281 applications for the establishment of initiation schools received, only 204 approved.

• Mpumalanga: 38 traditional councils have been given permission to establish initiation schools. 13 initiation schools are currently operating with 413 initiates having been pre-screened.

• Western Cape: 32 applications were approved. 37 caregivers and 12 traditional surgeons are currently in a workshop, which started on 10 June to end on 12 June 2015.

• Gauteng: A total of 302 applications were received. Only 129 so far have been approved while others are still under consideration.

• Free State: Traditional leaders are clustered in one area, mainly in Qwaqwa and Thaba Nchu. There are 3 committees at local, district and provincial level that are working with the Provincial House of Traditional Leaders.

• Eastern Cape (EC): The EC has a provincial task team comprising of the Departments of Health, Social Development and Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Sports and Recreation as well as Education and other stakeholders. The Provincial House of Traditional Leaders is at the centre of driving the initiation practice. The House has developed an action plan for the upcoming initiation season. The Province will have a walkabout on 19 June 2015 as part of the awareness campaign. On 20 June 2015, the province will launch the initiation season.  No statistics with regard to applications and approvals are available at this stage.

• North West: No statistics with regard to applications and approvals are available at this stage.

• KwaZulu-Natal: The province does not practice the initiation cultural practice. However, His Majesty King Zwelithini launched the Medical Male Circumcision Programme under the Department of Health.

All provincial structures are coordinated by the National Initiation Task Team chaired by Inkosi Mahlangu, Deputy Chairperson of the House of Traditional Leaders. A national team is currently visiting all provinces to assess the state of readiness and to ensure that effective systems are established before the commencement of the initiation season.

All matters pertainig to illegal initiation schools and abductions should be reported to the following SAPS Provincial Coordinators:

Coordinators for investigation of initiation school related cases 

For information regarding registered initiation schools and their relevant contact details, kindly contact Mr Sam Khandlhela 082 782 3754.

We call upon all South Africans to work with us to ensure that the Initiation Season becomes a safe one.