Some of the initiates who die while they go through the rite of passage‚ do not even get a “dignified” burial. They are buried where they died‚ an investigation by the Commission for the Promotion and Protection of Rights of Cultural‚ Religious and Linguistic Communities (CRL Rights Commission)‚ has revealed.

“We had a snap investigation in December and what we are establishing is some people get buried up there in the mountain. So if people are being buried somewhere‚ there is no statistic because you are just a missing person. There is no death certificate‚ no investigation‚” said the Commission’s Chairperson Thoko Mkhwanazi-Xaluva.

Mkhwanazi-Xaluva was speaking at the launch of the investigation into the deaths of initiates in the country in Johannesburg on Wednesday.

The investigation will start in March in Sedibeng‚ Gauteng‚ where the Commission discovered cases of abduction of young boys. The Eastern Cape‚ which has recorded the highest number of deaths of initiates‚ will be investigated next.

 Mkhwanazi-Xaluva said they will be investigating the reliability of the statistics they received on the deaths of initiates.

“We want to determine if post-mortems and inquests into the deaths were conducted and finalised.

“Our snap investigation told us that they are not. We want to dig deeper and say why?

“We want to check what support initiates get from organs of state. When you are a young man and get [your penis] amputated‚ what system is there to help you move on with on with your life?”

Mkhwanazi-Xaluva said their brief investigation revealed that some of the initiates‚ who have to have the penises amputated after botched circumcisions‚ commit suicide.

“We want to solicit solutions from stakeholders on how to eradicate deaths.

The Commission will also be talking to municipalities to discuss the regulation of circumcision.

“We will be looking at bylaws‚ while we look at the bigger picture. We hope there will be order to this lifelong tradition‚” Mkhwanazi-Xaluva said.