BCM ready for winter season initiation
THE Buffalo City Metro says it is ready for the winter season initiation programme. Metro spokesman Sibusiso Cindi yesterday said the metro had set up cluster structures led by traditional leaders and set aside a budget to curb deaths and illegal circumcision schools.
Cindi said yesterday the structures had been established in East London, Mdantsane and King William’s Town.
“Their primary task is to establish ground level structures in each cluster based on the number of police stations,” Cindi said.
The structures include traditional leaders, traditional surgeons and nurses, the department of education, cooperative governance and traditional affairs (Cogta), transport, social development and BCM.
The plan to establish “ground level” structures comes after council speaker Alfred Mtsi told council recently that it was a challenge as there were no structures on the ground to coordinate the work of the traditional initiation programme.
“A need has been identified for a council committee on traditional initiation programmes to deal with the issue with the purpose of curbing fatalities and permanent injuries on the practice of this age old custom,” Mtsi said.
He highlighted that during the 2016 summer initiation season one death was recorded in BCM.
There was one assault case, no amputations were recorded although there were nine hospital admissions.
Last season there were 80 illegal circumcision schools that were discovered in the region and 175 illegal initiates were seen.
During the 2016 winter initiation season, the metro had recorded 582 legal initiates and 72 illegal initiates.
“BCM spent R130 800 for the 2016 summer season,” Cindi said.
He would not say how much the metro would spend for the upcoming winter initiation season. “BCM’s budget for the winter season will be based on the summer season expenditure, adjusted according to inflation.
People serving in the structures will not be paid.
Cindi said the reason why the structures were established based on police stations present in each area was because of the criminality that has infiltrated the initiation process.
“The structures are established to mobilise communities to curb deaths and permanent injuries to the boys undergoing the custom of initiation,” Cindi said. —