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• Initiations start

The long-standing practice is one of the cultural rites that several African communities continue to uphold as part of their traditions.

Initiation or lebollo or koma, as often referred to in Sotho-speaking communities, is regarded as an important stage of development in African youth.

Part of its importance is that if practised properly it also has the health benefits of protecting the initiates against sexually transmitted infections.

But this tradition has in the recent past been bedevilled by bad publicity spawned by the number of deaths at bush initiation schools.

The main cause of the headache was the flux of greedy operators who saw a chance in koma to make a quick buck.

Year in, year out provinces like Limpopo, Eastern Cape, Mpumalanga and the northern most parts of Gauteng, where the practice is most prevalent, would return ever increasing death tolls at the close of the initiation season.

On average 70 young men lose their lives to such mass circumcisions every year, with most of the fatalities recorded in Eastern Cape and Limpopo. Many more initiates suffer unspeakable injuries, in some instances penile amputation - scarring them for the rest of their lives.

We therefore welcome efforts such as those reported in this newspaper yesterday that authorities have taken more than a keen interest in the goings-on in bush schools.

We reported that 314 schools were accredited in Limpopo ahead of the official opening of the circumcision season last Friday. Only 23 applications were turned down.

Authorities said they were satisfied that the approved schools met the required standards.

In the province, only chiefs are issued permits to run a koma. Only boys aged 12 or more years are allowed.

Authorities have promised to deal harshly with anybody found to have breached the law by circumventing the rules.

Encouraging indeed. We welcome the government's active involvement in safeguarding the wellbeing of boys undergoing the ritual.

Since its involvement, the numbers tell a story: only two deaths were recorded during the koma season in Limpopo last year. An example worth following by other provinces.

Comments

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Sun May 19 10:36:35 SAST 2013 ::

Jun 20, 2012

Knan

Let them go...

When they return, they will be mugging people and other children, leaving school & calling themselves men while calling others BoSarafina
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Jun 20, 2012

Msiphos00

Passage to manhood nehh hayi ke no comment......
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Jun 20, 2012

Hoshpelepelewa26Zikuphi

Five ke Five, let's see how many we have here moblokong
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Jun 20, 2012

cocolucho

@author, what is 2 man and what makes a man. Is it the fact that one is circumcised or that one has respect for himself, those around him and the environment? When does one become a man? I'm not criticising circumcision, I think its important, but I would like to know if a boy can claim to be a man just by going to circumcision school.
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Jun 20, 2012

eKapa

the Media is always wrong on the right things
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Jun 20, 2012

cutedogg

I dont understand gore why is this a story, Sowetan stop turning a tissue into an issue, this is kak. mxxm
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Jun 20, 2012

member

Certian things are not relevant anymore and I thing our culture or the way we do things should change with times and be dynamic.what is the point or core reason for going to the mountains?.
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Jun 20, 2012

eKapa

member
Certian things are not relevant anymore and I thing our culture or the way we do things should change with times and be dynamic.what is the point or core reason for going to the mountains?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

i see you forgot that you an african by chosing a wh!te man avatra
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Jun 20, 2012

m'zaco'

ekapa

kwakwakwakwakwa.aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa k1lled me there............kikikikiki
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Jun 20, 2012

RobinH

eKapa: A pathetic retort there, that smacks of serious racism.
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