Circumcision Act lands pair in the dock
Mother, brother sent underage boy to rite, says dad
AMOTHER and her brother appeared at the Mdantsane Magistrate’s Court yesterday for contravening the Circumcision Act. The state alleges they had colluded to send her underage son to initiation school.
The Grade 11 Greenpoint High School pupil is 16. The legal age for initiation in South Africa is 18.
The case was opened by the boy’s father.
Sindile Albia, 36, was arrested yesterday by the Vulindlela police and his sister Patricia Albia, 37, on Friday. Patricia was given R1 000 bail and Albia R300.
The pair appeared together in the dock yesterday. Patricia’s private sector attorney was not present.
Albia, a support staffer at the Cape Town International Airport, asked the court for a long remand as he has a new job in the Middle East and is set to begin on February 1 at Qatar Airways.
His Legal Aid lawyer Mthimkhulu Mphahlwa asked the court to postpone the matter to June.
But state prosecutor Phillip dismissed the plea. Sabatha
“That is too much time because all we need to do is get a few statements from witnesses and a certificate from the traditional surgeon to see if he is qualified for the job.”
Magistrate Fezeka Monakali postponed the case to April 16.
According to Patricia, the young man is at home after graduating from initiation school on December 22.
● One of three Berlin initiates charged with the murder of Nolulamo “Lulu” Faku, 59, at an initiation school, also appeared in the same court yesterday.
He could not stand in court alongside his co-accused on December 28 because he was in hospital.
He was denied bail and was held in custody until his next appearance on January 11, where he is due to appear with the two other accused.
The three are part of a group of five initiates arrested on December 24 at an initiation school in Berlin’s Mncotsho village for the brutal slaying.
Police said Faku was hit with sticks and knobkerries by the initiates after they allegedly found her outside their hut at 10pm. Two more accused were released to the custody of their parents as they are underage and were not charged. —