Government says it plans to approach the traditional leadership of Amampondo region in the former Transkei to try and persuade it to review the practice of circumcision known as Ulwaluko. Government says the aim is to tackle the number of deaths due to circumcision during initiation.
The Eastern Cape has recorded thirteen deaths during initiations this year. Deputy Minister of Cooperative Governance Obed Bapela says they agreed to relook at the matter with the previous leadership of the House of Traditional Leaders.
“For us to win the battle particularly in the Mpondo areas where the deaths are high, where there is no cooperation by parents, where there is no cooperation by the communities is for us to really engage with the Amampondo traditional leaders, Nkani Zonke to say guys this thing is out of control. What is your way of finding a solution to it? When you go back to the historical documents, initiation was suspended or abolished hundred years ago when King Faku was a king. It resurfaced again in the 70s,” says Bapela.
The Eastern Cape Provincial Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs says more than three hundred boys who went for circumcision tested positive for COVID-19 last year.
The department was briefing the National Assembly’s Portfolio Committee on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs.
“Boys that were tested for COVID-19, chairperson were more than 7000. Out of those boys that tested positive for COVID- 19 were 310. Legal initiation schools that were registered were 613. Illegal initiation schools were 300. On legal initiates, we recorded 7486. Illegal initiates were 3351. The total number of boys that were initiated including both legal and illegal were 10 401,” says Director-General Andile Stofile.
VIDEO: Government to screen initiation school operators:
