All systems go for initiation season
EASTERN Cape traditional leaders and the government yesterday expressed happiness at the state of readiness for the 2017 summer traditional initiation season which starts this weekend.
Cooperative governance and traditional affairs (Cogta) MEC Fikile Xasa and Eastern Cape House of Traditional Leaders’ deputy chairman Nkosi Langa Mavuso presented a roadmap for the summer season.
They said they were anticipating “zero” deaths.
Xasa, talking during the media launch of the 2017 summer traditional initiation, said: “We are ready for this season, but the primary responsibility is with traditional leaders who must take the lead and ensure safe initiation.”
The launch, which took place in East London, was attended by traditional initiation forums from across the province and other stakeholders, including government departments.
Thirty-five rented bakkies were on show among resources provided for the rite this summer. They have been rented by the health department for 45 days, media were told, and are to be used by designated medical officers and monitoring teams who will criss-cross the province visiting initiation schools.
Buffalo City Metro has hired its own four bakkies.
Provincial health department’s district services chief director, Dr Singilizwe Moko, said each monitoring team will have designated medical officers, one of them clinically trained.
Xasa and Mavuso said that all boys must be 18 or older to be legally permitted to undergo the rite and had to undergo the mandatory medical examination beforehand. —