As initiation season gets under way around the country, the Mpumalanga provincial government has raised concerns about the already spiking number of deaths.
The province’s premier, Refilwe Mtsweni-Tsipane, said the provincial government had been informed about eight recorded fatalities this week from initiation schools across the province.
Despite a partnership between the government and traditional leaders there were concerns that the rise in illegal initiation schools would be a contributing factor to the deaths of young initiates who would be abducted and forced into these schools.
Some of them would die of dehydration, and some would get infections during the initiation process.
The premier, who addressed the provincial House of Traditional Leaders in the Legislature this week, said she was distressed by the deaths.
She said the establishment of the Provincial Initiation Co-ordinating Committee (PICC) was a major decisive step undertaken by the province to prevent fatalities during the practice of ingoma.
She said the committee would perform its duties in compliance with the requirement of the Customary Initiation Act No 2 of 2021.
The PICC would be chaired by Inkhosi Mbuyane with Kgoshigadi Mohlala elected as the deputy chairperson.
The committee would have oversight and monitoring responsibilities, including all relevant structures that practiced ingoma.
“The PICC will create a database for all legal initiation schools in Mpumalanga province. These efforts are aimed at helping to curb fatalities during the initiation period. The PICC and the task team will monitor the proceedings during ingoma, and are busy on the ground to tighten monitoring for compliance,” the provincial government said.
The premier further said that the Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs Department (Cogta) was putting together an action plan in collaboration with the Department of Health to allocate more resources to curb any potential escalation of ingoma fatalities.
She urged all ingoma initiation schools to work with the government to ensure the safe passage of ingoma initiates.
The chairperson of the Congress of Traditional Leaders in SA in Mpumalanga, Kgosi Siphosezwe Mahlangu, said the province was expecting at least 50 000 young men at this year's initiation season.
He said he would give a full comment to The Star once the cause of death for the eight boys was discovered.
ACDP leader Kenneth Meshoe said the party was concerned that the initiation season was in winter, and would exposing the young men to harsh weather.
He called for an investigation into the causes of death, and for greater oversight by government officials.
“We are concerned about the loss of life. The government must investigate the cause of the deaths, and the people who do these circumcisions need to be vetted, and they should be qualified,“ Meshoe said.
He added that the manner in which the tradition was carried out should be evaluated if it was leading to the loss of life.
"Protection of life must be prioritised. We care about life, and we cannot be reckless about life in the name of tradition."
The Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) has established a commission aimed at stemming the tide of illegal initiation schools around the country. The commission is a collaborative intervention between Cogta, the police and traditional leaders. According to Cogta spokesperson Mlungisi Mtshali this initiative is aimed at bringing an end to illegal initiation schools and the number of deaths that happen every initiation season.
"Our plans for this upcoming initiation season have been the establishment of the commission alongside the police, as well as the traditional leaders, to stem the tide against the scourge of illegal schools and the number of deaths that happen each season. We realise that every season there are problematic provinces that continue to experience fatalities. We are currently engaging with various stakeholders as part of the work of this commission. We have sat with the commission on its preparations for the upcoming season, as we want to have a less dangerous season. As you might know, the biggest issue we have is the illegal initiation schools. We await the commission to then communicate its preparations before this season begins," Mtshali said.
Timeline of initiate deaths
According to Cogta, the death of initiates stands at 400 since 2012.
2016
A report on the summer initiation season across the eastern Cape province claimed 29 lives, with the arrest of nine traditional nurses and surgeons.
2017
More than 16 initiates died in Eastern Cape province, resulting in the arrest of 19 traditional surgeons and nurses.
December 2018
18 boys were reported to have died at Eastern Cape-based initiation schools.
December 2019
Authorities suspended several initiation schools as a result of a spike in the number of deaths, with more than 20 initiates dying due to botched initiations, with the religious and cultural commission calling for the arrest of those responsible for the deaths.
July 2021
14 initiates were rescued from an illegal initiation school in Mqanduli, in the Eastern Cape, with four traditional nurses and a parent arrested for flouting lockdown regulations in Buffalo City.
Additional reporting: Siyabonga Sithole