The Congress of Traditional Leaders (Contralesa) has urged traditional leaders to be vigilant and ensure that there are no casualties in this year’s summer initiation season. Initiation season has started in the Eastern Cape and other parts of the country where the rite of passage is practiced.
Contralesa President Kgosi Larmeck Mokoena says they want to ensure an incident-free initiation season. Mokoena says law enforcement must clamp down on all schools operating illegally.
“The summer initiation season has just kicked off, especially in the Eastern Cape. Contralesa wishes all our initiates a very successful initiation season. For that to happen we are saying no to illegal schools, we are saying no to inexperienced traditional surgeons, we are saying no to inexperienced caregivers. Law enforcement agencies must clamp down on all illegal initiation schools. Traditional leaders to be vigilant and monitor on daily basis all the movement at those schools.”
Hopes for incident-free initiation season in Eastern Cape
Meanwhile, a cultural civic group in the Western Cape is appealing for donations to assist destitute men between the ages of 24 to 49 willing to undergo traditional male circumcision. The Somagwaza Institute seeks to assist men from vulnerable backgrounds who cannot afford expenses linked to undergoing the initiation.
This is an age old Xhosa tradition to signify the coming of age of boys. Founder of the Somagwaza Institute Sikelela Zokufa says it’s about restoring people’s dignity.
“Somagwaza institute does not have any funding we are working on our pockets most of the time, we are requesting any supporting from the community in general because we want these guys to have their dignity back when they are coming back we need the blankets, clothes , groceries during initiation and any support which we might get.”
