Cape Town - Traditional surgeons and initiation forums in the Western Cape are keeping close watch, following rumours that there could be some cultural schools proceeding to circumcise boys, flouting Covid-19 lockdown regulations.
The national government suspended the tradition across the country, after the announcement of adjusted lockdown level 4.
However, initiation schools that already had initiates, which some currently still do, were permitted to continue to the end.
Langa Embo Initiation Forum spokesperson Mandla Mlambo said it would be very disappointing if the unconfirmed rumours of flouted regulations were true.
“All traditional surgeons in the province were trained and educated about Covid-19 by the Western Cape Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport (DCAS). As the committee, we had no choice, but decided to adhere to the regulations because more than 60 initiates registered before lockdown,” said Mlambo.
Mlambo said only 40 initiates could proceed because their dates were before the adjusted level.
“We had to engage with the parents of the remaining 20 boys, who were also hoping to undergo initiation, that were halting the plans. They were due to go to the cultural school between July and August.”
Traditional surgeon and Somagwaza Institute chairperson Sikelela Zokufa said, to date, they have not received reports of illegal schools operating.
“We are rigorously monitoring all initiation schools across the Metro and have not received any concrete reports of initiation schools operating unlawfully. All initiation sites for the Xhosa tribe, including Khayelitsha and Stock Roads, are are allowed to operate. The last report of an illegal school was around May, and the traditional nurse was arrested. Usually, a traditional nurse gets a sanction from the forums, but there is nothing we can do if they get arrested – as it’s already in the hands of the law, rather than our cultural law,” said Zokufa.
Stacy McLean, the spokesperson for Cultural Affairs and Sport MEC Anroux Marias, also said since the practice has been barred, the department has not been informed of any schools unlawfully operating.
Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) spokesperson Lungi Mtshali said the regulations were clear on initiation processes and failure to comply was punishable, and the police must shut down initiation schools found to be in violation.
Nkosi Ndevu, chairperson of the National Tradition, Heritage and Culture Committee, said they are, so far, aware of four traditional nurses who were arrested in the Eastern Cape last week, after fourteen initiates were rescued from an illegal initiation school.
Cape Times