Eastern Cape authorities say they are ready for the upcoming June initiation season and are again aiming for zero deaths, despite at least 67 initiates having died across the province’s previous three initiation seasons.
The official opening date for the winter initiation season is expected to be announced later this week.
The Eastern Cape department of co-operative governance & traditional affairs (Cogta) and the Provincial Initiation Co-ordinating Committee (PICC) say preparations are at an advanced stage, with traditional surgeons and nurses trained and vetted ahead of the season.
The renewed calls for a safer season come after more than 23 initiates died during the most recent summer initiation season.
Cogta spokesperson Pheello Oliphant said the department was committed to eliminating initiation-related deaths and injuries.
Calls have also been made to law enforcement agencies, including the police and National Prosecuting Authority, to arrest and prosecute people involved in illegal initiation schools and the forced initiation of underage boys.
Oliphant urged parents to remain vigilant and avoid illegal initiation schools.
“Parents of initiates should be on the lookout for the hooligans in the townships who take initiates to the bush [illegally] in order to make money out of them,” he said.
The June season is traditionally associated with fewer deaths than the summer season because of more favourable weather conditions, and authorities hope that trend will continue this year.
Following a PICC meeting in Komani on May 25 and 26, committee chair Nkosi Gwazinamba Matanzima said the province was satisfied with its level of preparedness.
“The outcomes of the meeting were that we were checking our state of readiness, and we are comfortable with how all the districts of the province have prepared to go into this season.
“We also wanted to send a message to the security cluster that all those who break the law, that their cases be attended to, because once initiates come out of the bush, the cases end up disappearing.”
Matanzima said cases against those who broke the law must be prioritised.
“The hotspots that we have recognised are the OR Tambo, Amathole, and the Alfred Nzo regions,” he said.
Matanzima said the annual pre-season meeting focused on ensuring that traditional nurses were properly trained, traditional surgeons were registered and operating within the law, and awareness campaigns reached all those involved in initiation schools.
“We want to target these hotspots [of initiate deaths] and ensure we place enough resources in these places, so we can make certain they [initiates] go into their passage of manhood alive, and come out alive,” he said.
The OR Tambo district has recorded the highest number of initiation-related deaths in recent years, particularly in the Nyandeni, Mhlontlo and Ngqeleni areas.
“We noticed in the previous season that Amathole was the second most problematic district as it had six initiate deaths.
“Meanwhile, Chris Hani had four initiate deaths and seven traditional nurse deaths,” Matanzima said.
Of the seven traditional nurses who died, three were struck by lightning, while the others died in separate incidents of violence.
Authorities also highlighted the importance of assessing the physical and mental wellbeing of prospective initiates before they attend initiation schools.
During the previous season, one initiate died by suicide, another died from cardiac failure, and a third died from an epilepsy-related aspiration incident.
Oliphant urged parents to ensure their children were physically fit before undergoing initiation.
“Parents must not take to the initiation school children who are not physically fit for the bush life,” Oliphant said.
“Traditional leaders in their traditional councils must monitor the traditional initiation schools.
“It is our wish that this time around we don’t experience even a single death,” he said.
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