The Chronicle

BULAWAYO, Friday, August 4, 1995 — Traditional practices by the Xhosa people living in Mbembesi could soon be a thing of the past as police are alleged to be arresting and detaining boys undergoing the circumcision ritual.

The councillor for Fingo ward which falls under the Umguza Rural District Council, Clr Caleb Somkhence yesterday said an unspecified number of boys who were living in the nearby forests were on Tuesday arrested and detained for hunting wild animals. As part of the circumcision ritual, boys have to live in the forest and fend for themselves.

He said it was unfortunate that the boys would now have to come into contact with other people which would make a nonsense of the ritual.

“What the police did amounts to interrupting a religious pilgrimage as it will now be difficult to establish whether they are now men,” he said. He added that some of the medicines with which the boys were treated would become useless if they made contact with other people.

The councillor said the police action amounted to disrespect for the local people’s customs. “We have lived with them for a long time and they are aware of our customs, nothing is new to them. The Government is behind us as it has called on people to respect their traditional practices and this has been proved by the existence of a ministry which deals with culture.”

A spokesman for Matabeleland North police, Assistant Inspector Biggie Chimpanga, confirmed when contacted for comment that three boys were brought in at Mbembesi Police Station for poaching on a privately owned ranch. “One of them was still undergoing the ritual while two of them were not, and police had no option but to prosecute as the boys were apprehended by farm guards after they had killed a warthog”.