Initiation is good, just stop rogue operators and save lives

Initiation traditions have been criticised for the number of deaths and mutilations from botched circumcisions every year.

In previous years, teenagers across the country have had to be hospitalised after botched circumcisions during initiation rituals.

I urge all initiation school operators to send children who are ill and not coping to hospital as soon as possible. Don’t send them to hospital when it is too late to save their lives or their penises.

As an African who values and respects his culture, I think we will only have initiation schools of suitable quality when the health department trains initiation school operators and screens surgeons to determine if they are medically fit to conduct circumcisions.

The people who cause chaos in initiation schools are those who claim to be official operators, but have the primary aim of generating money rather than offering a quality service.

The government should ensure that there are no illegal initiation schools.

This would help avoid unnecessary deaths. We have no more room for disappointment and ignorance.

Legal action should be taken against the people responsible for the deaths of initiates in illegal initiation schools.

Fake initiation school operators should be stopped.

Miyelani Hlungwani, Mukhomi Village