THE Eastern Cape Province is to officially open the summer season of Circumcision (Ulwaluko) on 15 November 2024.
MEC for the Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA), Zolile Williams, stated that premedical screening for boys was opened on 28 October 2024, and the provincial health facilities are ready to receive boys.
He said that in the last Winter Season of Circumcision (Ulwaluko), 11,193 boys took part in the practice.
“There were 8,531 boys medically screened, 9,906 legal schools visited, and 1,287 illegal schools identified. Additionally, 1,626 initiates were treated on the spot for various medical conditions by health officials.
“A total of 1,281 Traditional Surgeons and Traditional Nurses received training on infection prevention and control, as well as wound care during Customary Male Initiation,” said Williams.
He added that, unfortunately, notwithstanding great efforts by their teams, 14 young lives were needlessly lost and there were three amputations.
“We are satisfied with the state of readiness from our District and Metro Initiation Forums, including support from the Security Cluster, municipalities, Sector Departments, as well as Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), with respect to resource allocation. The training of Traditional Surgeons and Traditional Nurses is currently ongoing across the province to mitigate associated risks.
“The screening process will, for the first time, also focus on symptoms of drug addiction and dehydration to provide the necessary support before the boys undergo the ritual.”
According to him, the support by Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) for radio awareness campaigns and availing doctors on call in some Districts and Metro Municipalities is commendable to mitigate deaths and injuries of children during this period.
The Chairperson of the Eastern Cape House of Traditional and Khoisan Leaders, Nkosi Mpumalanga Gwadiso, applauded the Security Cluster for its interventions, which include the training of detectives on guided prosecutorial investigations so that cases are court-ready.
“We depend on our traditional leaders to assist the police in tracing suspects and supporting victims during court processes. No school must take on a young boy without parental consent. The bold efforts of our monitoring teams are praiseworthy and must be complemented by traditional leaders by preventing unregistered schools in their areas.”
