A recently released document from Eastern Cape Health shows the horrifying scale of the initiation death crisis in the province, where 816 initiates have died in the past 13 years.
According to a Daily Dispatch report, so troubling are the statistics that Eastern Cape MPL Mncedisi Filtane has even likened initiation deaths to those that occurred during the initial outbreak of the HIV/Aids pandemic in the 1980s. The document, released by the department in November, shows that more than 300 initiates suffered amputations in the 13-year period, while in excess of 8,000 initiates had to be admitted to hospitals for treatment.
While 620,000 initiates attended legal initiation schools, 37,000 boys attended illegal initiation schools in the same period, according to the document.
The report says in most cases, peer pressure from friends and parents’ inability to pay for legal schools and traditional ceremonies caused young boys to go to illegal schools. Here, illegal traditional surgeons make a quick buck by performing shoddy circumcisions which frequently result in loss of life or serious injury. On average, it costs a family about R20,000 for traditional ceremonies and buying clothes for the initiate.
The report says various factors are leading to initiation deaths. During the 2019 winter season, the deaths of 17 initiates were due to injuries, excessive bleeding, pneumonia and TB and other common illnesses and infections. In 2018, deaths stemmed from asthma, food poisoning, suicide, burns and renal failure. Septicaemia and dehydration were the biggest killers.
The report says the document further states that the deaths and penile amputations are a feature of every circumcision season as result of sepsis, gangrene and dehydration.
Another huge problem is that drinking water is still forbidden. “Drinking water, especially during the first and second week of initiation school, is still forbidden in most areas of Chris Hani, Buffalo City and Joe Gqabi. All Chris Hani deaths and most hospital admissions are dehydration-related,” the document stated.
The situation is being worsened by initiates’ families refusing to allow designated medical officers (DMO) to visit initiation schools for monitoring purposes.
[link url="https://www.dispatchlive.co.za/news/2020-01-03-numbers-tell-story-of-initiation-death-crisis/"]Daily Dispatch report (subscription needed)[/link]