EC initiative to restore beauty of sacred rite
War has been declared on initiate deaths and illegal circumcisions.
At the launch of the 2018 traditional initiation summer season in King William’s Town on Friday, SAPS Brigadier Malibongwe Ntsabo, part of the SAPS provincial management, said they were ready.
Each of the 196 police stations in the Eastern Cape now has a dedicated circumcision co-ordinator and a vehicle, and magistrate’s courts now have a dedicated prosecutor.
“Those found with drugs, liquor, stolen goods, guns and other weapons will be arrested, including initiates and iingcibi [traditional surgeons] and
amakhankatha [traditional nurses],” Ntsabo said.
“We will restore the custom of
ulwaluko to its former glory of being a sacred rite.”
He said his officers now properly understood the Eastern Cultural Male Initiation Act and were ready to enforce it.
Initiates at schools without their parents’ permission, bogus traditional surgeons, and nurses who assaulted initiates would all be arrested.
Ntsabo said a traditional policing concept would be launched on December 7 at the Nqadu Great Place in Willowvale.
National prosecuting authority Mthatha cluster chief prosecuting advocate Vuyani Genu said: “[Initiation] cases will speed up, especially if there is proper co-operation from all affected parties.”
Sixty-nine bakkies from Bhisho, municipalities and NGOs were handed over and distributed to monitoring teams for the 45-day season.
Health department medical services acting deputy DG Dr Litha Matiwane said they were only relying on state medical doctors and male nurses.
Traditional affairs MEC Fikile Xasa said: “This beautiful and most respected custom has turned the people of the Eastern Cape into a laughing stock.”
In last year’s summer season, 14 initiates died. Of 47 cases opened with police, 19 people were arrested.
During this year’s winter season, 21 initiates died. Ten deaths were treated as inquests and the other 11 as murder.