Johannesburg - ActionSA has urged the government of the Eastern Cape to do everything that is needed to quell the unnecessary loss of lives during initiation season.
This follows reports that the Eastern Cape is always in the headlines due to the alarming number of deaths from initiatives emanating from the initiation schools in the province.
The party says the government must reconsider how initiation schools are registered and supervised.
“One of ActionSA’s values is the appreciation and promotion of cultural diversity. Our cultural and religious customs are part and parcel of who we are because we attribute specific, important meaning to them. One of these customs is the rite of passage for young men, the highlight of which is the process related to the circumcision of young males.”
It is revealed that the Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Cultural, Religious, and Linguistic Communities (CRL) estimates that around 700 initiates have died in the Eastern Cape in the last decade, with 34 deaths reported since the beginning of the current summer season, which began on November 4, 2022.
“Given the continued unnecessary and tragic loss of the lives of young males in the prime of their lives at these schools, ActionSA believes that the responsibility of overseeing this tradition or custom and preventing any loss of life should be better shared by the Provincial Department of Health, the Eastern Cape House of Traditional Leaders, all law enforcement agencies, and all the stakeholders, including the families of aspirant initiates. Only a collaborative effort between all stakeholders will finally bring an end to these unnecessary deaths."
Various reasons have been cited as causes for these deaths, including dehydration, underlying health comorbidities, diabetes, and other chronic health issues.
“It is common knowledge that the bulk of the deaths occur because of illegal initiation schools run by opportunistic, inexperienced, unqualified, and unsupervised individuals who are responsible for the actual circumcision, post-procedural care, and overall parental/family oversight.”
The party says the health department must champion the saving of lives by making sure that no medically compromised young male is given permission to undergo initiation until any and all underlying health issues are addressed.
The Star