HOW TO CURB UP DEATHS AT THE INITIATION SCHOOLS

Initiates during night ritual performance standing in front of a fire. Photo: Google Images

Reshoketswe Mlangeni
@Reshoketswe_M

It the season of initiation schools and traditionally this is when Sotho groups, Tshivenda, Tsongas and Xhosas send young boys for a rite of passage from boyhood to manhood. The initiation schools in Mpumalanga alone last year saw the passing on of 30 initiates due to alleged botched circumcision and stomach cramps. However it was found out that all the deaths had taken place at government-registered initiation schools where medical practitioners were often present.

The process of undergoing initiation includes a lot of sacred traditional practises that requires thorough careful performing of rituals before, during and after the initiation schooling by the initiates, initiator and sometimes both at the same time. Circumcision is the passage’s top priority but not the most important one as opposed to the public opinion. In the above mentioned case the deaths could still not be prevented albeit the presence of medical practitioners. This might be largely due to the fact that medical support at the initiation schools is not really necessary. The imperative thing to do to avoid the unfortunate turnout of events such as Mpumalanga’s last year ones is to perform all dictating rituals at the right time: before, during and after the initiation schooling.

In Limpopo, initiates as young as 6-year-olds are allowed to undergo the passage as opposed to Eastern Cape where the minimum of years to go to initiation is 18. This is advantageous to significantly avoid deaths because the young boys have not yet started to engage in sexual intercourses that can lead to dire unfortunate consequences. Limpopo is also hailed as the most safest and the most trustworthy because of its 0% death rates in initiation as far back as the 80’s unlike Mpumalanga and Eastern Cape where most deaths occur.

The government can also get hands-on by making sure that all illicit initiation schools are clamped down. Parents must also be extra caution not to send their children to non-registered schools. The prospective initiates should also register with initiators afore the process for medical practitioners to be able to screen them. As such initiates who have other diseases could also bring along their medication. There are always cases of abducted initiates where some parents go take their children. This is not advisable as could lead to deaths since the initiates have already participated in some practises that dictates to be done up to the end. Even though this is the case, victim’s parents can open criminal cases at the police to have suspects locked behind bars or also take their children home if possible.