By BAKANG MOKOTO
11 February 2025 – The Portfolio Committee on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) today received a report on the outcome of the summer initiation season and efforts to implement the committee’s recommendations. This follows the committee’s oversight visit to the Eastern Cape in December 2024, to assess initiation practices.
The committee visited some initiation sites and met with various stakeholders in the Oliver Tambo District. On Tuesday, the Department of COGTA and the Eastern Cape Provincial Initiation Coordination Committee briefed committee members.
The committee heard that the province recorded 29 initiate deaths, two (penile) amputations and 147 hospital admissions, among others. Seven deaths were recorded in the OR Tambo district.
Among the causes of death were dehydration and septicaemia, which committee Chairperson Dr Zweli Mkhize said are preventable. These deaths occurred at illegal initiation schools, but also at legal schools.
Several initiates also succumbed due to assault-related injuries. The committee heard from the Minister of COGTA, Mr Velinkosini Hlabisa, that between 2016 and 2024, 371 initiation-related deaths and 110 amputations were recorded.
The Chairperson said the numbers are “too ghastly”. Reflecting on the committee’s oversight visit in December, he said these initiated deaths remain “a matter of serious concern”.
“Our visit was an eye-opener. We were able to see the level of determination of various stakeholders in fighting the deaths of initiates. We could also see where the weaknesses arise.
“The committee noted that all stakeholders must come together to share observations and see where loose ends can be tightened to end such deaths,” said Mkhize.
He further said the custom is an age-old custom that has no reason to be a source of death. Mkhize added that they must get to a point where there are consequences for wrongdoing and negligence and ensure the custom is practiced safely.
“The committee noted that initiation is often devolved to families while amakhosi – due to amended legislation – often feel excluded. Also among the challenges the committee flagged was the lack of resources to properly monitor these initiation sites, which are often remote and inaccessible.
“We expect monitoring when there are no resources. One of the biggest problems is that we cannot reach everywhere. Monitoring will be difficult unless we make it a responsibility of traditional structures, but even for them, monitoring will be difficult without resources,” said Mkhize.
He said the long and short of it is that systems are beginning to be implemented and are taking root, but if this is not monitored, they will not know what is happening. Mkhize said among the suggestions offered by the committee was the need for a joint programme of information that must run throughout the year, irrespective of the initiation season.
“This will entail providing information to people all year, such as to drink water, promote medical screening and encourage hospitalisation in cases of complications to save the initiates from death or mutilation.
“Messages of safe initiation should be made fashionable to eliminate a sense of shame and taboo. These messages should target new initiates on all platforms such as local traditional court meetings, churches, sports and other traditional and social settings to integrate these messages into the daily lives of the youth,” he said.
Mkhize said the committee also noted that the issue of the amakhosi must be addressed as their participation is a big issue. He said they will need to look at amending the Act and ensure resources are available to ensure better monitoring at the local level and hold people responsible in their areas.
“We need to close that gap. The committee also stressed that the local population and traditional leaders must be at the forefront of driving this. In the end, we need more resources, one body to coordinate, and authority for traditional leaders so that we can have a way for communities to take responsibility and change behaviour.
“The committee noted that it is encouraging that all stakeholders – the committee, minister, department, and statutory structures – speak the same language and see the path towards a solution,” said Mkhize.
He said from there, they can work together and support the minister, the department, the province, and the House of Traditional Leaders in ending these mutilations.
The Guardian 