‘Ingcibi’, 84, held over underage initiations

A SENIOR citizen has been arrested for illegally circumcising five under-age boys in Ngqeleni.

The 84-year-old man was caught yesterday at Buntingville near Ngqeleni for illegally circumcising the five boys, aged 16 and 17.

By law, boys are supposed to be at least 18 and have permission from their parents or legal guardians before they can undergo the rite.

The elderly man who, up until his arrest, had been a respected veteran traditional surgeon in Mpondoland, has more than 40 years experience in the rite, and has trained scores of traditional surgeons and traditional nurses.

He is expected to appear at the Ngqeleni Magistrate’s Court today on charges of illegal circumcision.

His arrest came as cooperative governance and traditional affairs MEC Fikile Xasa and his high-powered monitoring team – which included Nyandeni mayor Mesuli Ngqondwana, traditional leaders, doctors, nurses and SAPS members – were visiting initiation schools across Libode, Ngqeleni and Port St Johns yesterday.

Initiation deaths have increased to six – four in Libode, one in East London and one in Ngcobo – just two weeks into the winter initiation season.

In an interview yesterday, Xasa said the government and police would continue to crack down on illegal initiation schools.

The MEC and his delegation were shocked to find almost 70 initiates under the age of 18 in just two initiation schools in Nyandeni. —