S. Africa launches "Zero Deaths" campaign as initiation season begins

CAPE TOWN, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- A nationwide "Zero Deaths" campaign was launched on Thursday as the summer initiation season kicked off, amid a stern warning from the government against illegal initiation schools.

The campaign, spearheaded by the Ministry for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (MCGTA), is designed to engage parents and local communities in preventing botched circumcision that claims many young lives every year.

Monitoring teams, together with law enforcement agencies, will be hard at work responding to challenges on the ground and dealing accordingly with those who continue to be perpetrators, the MCGTA said.

Circumcision is viewed a sacred practice in African cultures, marking a male's transition from child to adulthood. According to the tradition, young males have to be circumcised as the passage to manhood.

Every year dozens of boys die and many more are hospitalized in South Africa as a result of botched circumcision. In the last 10 years there have been more than 1,000 penile amputations.

Like other seasons before, this summer season might bring about some unwanted challenges like abductions, kidnappings, illegal and unregistered schools and the deaths of initiates, hence the importance of the involvement of parents and communities, the MCGTA said.

The MCGTA will continue to work tirelessly with all stakeholders in an effort to bring to an end this challenges, especially the death of initiates, said Des van Rooyen, Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs.

"In as much as government will remain visible and vigilant in this period, we are urging communities, especially parents, care givers or legal guardians to play their part and support our goal of ensuring zero tolerance to challenges that emanates during initiation seasons," Van Rooyen said.

The MCGTA also called on the coordinating forums in provinces to continue being vigilant and report illegal schools within their communities.

Parents have to be involved in this process of initiation from the beginning to the end as this will help save many promising lives, said the ministry.

The ministry also urged parents to work in partnership with traditional leaders, the government, stakeholders and role-players to ensure the creation of a conducive environment for a successful and safe initiation season. Enditem