The Congress of Traditional Leaders of South Africa (Contralesa) maintains that there should be a summer initiation season despite a surge in coronavirus infections in the Eastern Cape.
The custom remains suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Contralesa provincial chairperson Mwelo Nonkonyana says he sees no reason for it to remain suspended under alert level one of the lockdown.
“Now being in level one and many things open we don’t see any reason for anyone to say that the initiation season must remain suspended. We want this government of ours to put in place measures to protect our children, our traditional surgeons and traditional nurses. Everyone involved in the initiation needs to be protected because in the Eastern Cape, all government departments involved are members of provincial initiation committee and they have the necessary resources.”
Surging Eastern Cape COVID-19 infections halt the initiation season:
