Eastern Cape traditional leaders have welcomed new government-set initiation fees, but divisions have already emerged among practitioners over whether the move will ease exploitation or place further strain on poor families.
The national government has, ahead of the winter initiation season, gazetted set prices for both traditional circumcision procedures and the broader initiation process.
The fees, signed into law on March 24 by co-operative governance and traditional affairs minister Velenkosini Hlabisa, form part of the Customary Initiation Act of 2021.
Under the new regulations, a maximum of R3,500 may be charged by the principal of an initiation school for enrolment, while traditional surgeons may charge up to R1,500 per boy for the circumcision procedure.
The fees apply to both male and female customary initiation.
However, the regulations make no provision for traditional nurses, raising questions about how they will be compensated.
Some practitioners have also raised concerns about consultation, with claims that traditional surgeons and nurses were not adequately engaged.
The move comes amid wide variations in fees across the province.
In KuGompo City, initiation schools have been charging between R6,000 and R10,000 for a month-long stay, while in the OR Tambo district fees range from about R2,900 to R4,000.
According to members of the Eastern Cape Provincial Initiation Co-ordinating Committee (ECPICC), prices for both circumcision and initiation have ranged from R1,500 to R10,000, depending on the service provided.
Though it means that prices will now go up by 50% if I want to be compliant and charge the stipulated price, the government should also consider that most families are poor and unemployed
Unathi Mtimka, a fourth-generation traditional surgeon from Rhurha village in Peddie, said standardising prices was a positive step, but warned of the financial strain on families.
Mtimka took over the practice from his father, Mzimasi “Bra Zet” Mtimka, who died in November 2020 at the age of 58, reportedly due to Covid-19, and was known for promoting safe initiation practices.
“Though it means that prices will now go up by 50% if I want to be compliant and charge the stipulated price, the government should also consider that most families are poor and unemployed.
“There are many other costs involved in initiation, including livestock, clothing and food,” Mtimka said.
“This custom is necessary, but it is expensive, and some people already charge excessive prices. We must not make things worse.”
Manelisi Mafa of Zimbane, near Qokolweni in Mthatha, welcomed the move, describing it as long overdue.
“This will restore the integrity of the custom and the dignity of us as practitioners,” he said.
“It will also stop the problematic commercialisation of this sacred rite.”
Mafa, who has been practising since 2012 after taking over from his grandfather, charges R3,500 for both the procedure and accommodation at his initiation school.
He said he had 85 initiates during the 2025 summer season.
Vuyolethu Khethelo, of Nkontyweni in Mthatha, also supported the standardisation, saying it would reduce competition and close loopholes for exploitation.
“This is what we have been calling for. It will unite us and deal with opportunists,” he said, adding that he paid traditional nurses from his fees.
However, not all practitioners are convinced.
Andile Siko, who runs the Intaba kaSiko initiation camp in Mdantsane, said the government had failed to consult those directly affected.
“We were never consulted. This is the first time I hear about this, yet it affects us directly,” he said.
He said practitioners incurred significant costs, including building huts, feeding initiates and employing staff.
“The R6,000 I charge is already low considering the work involved.
“Now the government says we must charge R3,500 — they are daydreaming,” Siko said.
Hlabisa said the fees were determined after consultation with provincial premiers, the National House of Traditional and Khoi-San Leaders, provincial houses and the health minister.
Cogta MEC Zolile Williams’ spokesperson, Pheello Oliphant, said the Eastern Cape had contributed to the drafting of the regulations and supported their implementation.
Eastern Cape Provincial Initiation Co-ordinating Committee chair Nkosi Gwazinamba Matanzima also welcomed the move, saying the province had made input based on its experience.
Across the country, fees vary by province, with the Western Cape the most expensive and KwaZulu-Natal the least.
In the Western Cape, initiation school principals may charge up to R5,000 per initiate, while traditional surgeons receive an additional R800 for performing the procedure.
Daily Dispatch
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