S. African gov't vows to crack down on botched circumcisions

The South African government vowed on Thursday to take tougher actions against botched circumcisions which kill many youths every year.

"Our anger about the many lives that were destroyed due to botched procedures should move us to more action than before," Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Des Van Rooyen said as the winter initiation season was kicked off.

The season will see many young males across the country preparing to take an important step in their lives, entering the rights of passage to adulthood. This is a major and sacred stage in the African culture which sees the transition from child to adulthood.

The MCGTA and the Institution of Traditional Leadership working with other stakeholders have launched a "Zero Deaths campaign", with a message: "We Love Our Tradition, We Value Life of Our Youth."

"We can no longer afford to fold our arms while the young initiates continue to die, or are forever disfigured," said Van Rooyen.

In the past, the country has sadly witnessed loss of life of many initiates, and this prompted an outcry from all stakeholders including communities and government to suggest interventions that would curb this scourge. In 2015, during winter and summer Initiation seasons, approximately 101 initiates lost their lives (most in the Eastern Cape) and in the last 10 years there has been an estimated 1,000 penile amputations.

Health authorities identify the following challenges around initiation schools that lead to fatalities: not adhering to stringent quality health standards, unqualified traditional surgeons and schools often not having safety measures in place.

Other causes of deaths during initiation are pneumonia, dehydration due to not drinking enough water and deprivation, assault, botched circumcision and other conditions related to mental sicknesses.

The rise of illegal initiation schools over the past few years has been a worrying trend, Van Rooyen said.

He said there have been horrific stories about botched circumcisions which have led to an increase in the number of initiates dying or being left permanently disfigured.

"Many would agree that the safety of our young men and boys is not the sole responsibility of government but a societal responsibility. We call on every parent and to play a part by ensuring that their loved ones return home safely by only using legal initiation schools.

"Responsible schools will not take any boy without the consent of his parents and only operate within government health guidelines," Van Rooyen said.

The government will continue to close all illegal schools and work with police to arrest the perpetrators, said Van Rooyen.

"We will criminalize the activities that result in young people losing their lives. The law will help us to condemn the organized crime where criminals abduct children and take them by force to illegal initiation schools and arrest them," he said. Endit