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RITE OF PASSAGE: Initiates from the Hasani area outside Malamulele in Limpopo are seen in this file picture. The winter initiate season kicks off in the school holidays. PHOTO: ELIJAR MUSHIANA

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• Procedures for Koma schools

THE House of Traditional Leaders in Limpopo has issued more than 265 permits for koma schools (initiation schools) set to take place in July ahead of the winter session.

The house yesterday insisted that only children with medical reports showing they are in good health will be eligible to enrol.

The house said this would help ensure the health of all children enrolled at the schools was fine for them to undergo the traditional manhood passage.

Chairman for the Limpopo task team on koma schools, Vusani Netshimbupfe, said the team had also recommended that each boy be accompanied by his parents or relatives when they enrol at the schools.

He stressed that it was important for those running the schools to be aware of the health of each initiate.

Netshimbupfe said all initiates would undergo surgery at the school unless a doctor's medical report recommended otherwise.

"We normally take an initiate to hospital if he does not get well in time or when the surgery had some defects that could be detrimental to the boy's health.

"But we always recommend that only surgeons with good track records be tasked with doing surgery on our boys.

"We also work with the departments of health and social development, which provides us with health inspectors to ensure that our schools are hygienic at all times," said Netshimbupfe, who is also deputy provincial chairman of the house of traditional leaders in the province.

According to Netshimbupfe the house has already issued over 265 permits for initiation schools to run in the five regions of Sekhukhune, Vhembe, Waterberg, Capricorn and Mopani.

He said the koma schools will open on the last week before public schools close for the winter holidays and close a week before they reopen.

"This is to allow our initiates the opportunity to be ready by the time the schools reopen so that no koma graduate bunks classes as a result of the traditional ones."

Last year two boys died out of the many that attended the 314 schools in the province.

Five of the schools were shut down because of appalling conditions and botched surgery. - matlalaa@sowetan.co.za

Comments

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Tue May 21 20:06:37 SAST 2013 ::

May 10, 2012

CAKE

STUPID parents are still sending their kids to the bushes to cut their bottlenecks while they can got to any Doctor to do it?....nxaaaaaaaaa La swabiswa
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May 10, 2012

BaleliM

@ Cake- So true. why allow a child to go through all this pain and cold when the procedure can be done @ birth?
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May 10, 2012

sabza007

Stupid ritual.Its not necessary at this day and age. It also increases r.a.p.e.s because some opt to r.a.p.e when they are back from the mountain so that they can ''purify'' themselves
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May 10, 2012

Lesoba-Le-Boya

@CAKE and BaleliM

Cutting bottlenecks in the Bushes and to the Doctors are different, don't be fooled the Bushes are best when it comes to cutting...
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May 10, 2012

Dusc

This a punishment and embaresment for children rather do at a hospital or Doctor in a sanities area how many boys are going to be sick this time. Its is these parients I would think things will become more modern I will never let it be done to my child. If you not purify by heart it can make you a man.
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May 10, 2012

golezwa

@Lesoba-Le-Boya

I cut at the doctor, it was pain free and i even encouraged my friends who were uncircumsised to go cut, this mountain thing is just a waste of time and money, it does not have space in the morden society.
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May 10, 2012

Lesoba-Le-Boya

@golezwa

Let me show you my D!g and you'll see the difference Boet
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May 10, 2012

Lesoba-Le-Boya

I Believe most of guys are from KZN
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May 10, 2012

JajazQueen

Good luck boys, make us proud!!!!

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May 10, 2012

TKay

I cant believe we still have these touchers - send your kids to the doctor
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