Limpopo, Mpumalanga set to reopen initiation schools amid Covid-19 scare

Limpopo, Mpumalanga set to reopen initiation schools amid Covid-19 scare

By Montsho Matlala
Limpopo and Mpumalanga are the first provinces geared up to resume male cultural circumcision this winter after two-year ban.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has lifted the National State of Disaster on Monday evening of the 04th of April 2022.
Despite the Covid-19 scare, it is warned that cultural initiation schools would not operate as usual.
Limpopo has received a whopping 429 applications for male cultural initiation schools, according to the provincial Department of Cooperative Governance, Housing and Traditional Affairs (COGHSTA).
Spokesperson Hitekani Magwedze said in an interview, “We have approved 407 with the balance (22) rejected.
Magwedze added that “The two main contributors to the disapprovals have been disputes over traditional leadership and in other cases, traditional leaders don’t have jurisdiction to hold initiation schools in the areas they have applied to operate in.”
Despite the approval by COGHSTA, Limpopo Department of Health has not divulged safety protocols for initiates and their mentors at the time of printing.
Responding to Timeless News enquiry, the department’s spokesperson Neil Shikwambana said, “We are unable to make pronouncements on issues relating to cultural initiation schools before COGHSTA in collaboration with traditional leaders declare the season.”
In Mpumalanga, the sister province has outlined its readiness to host initiation schools.
The provincial Health spokesperson Dumisani Malamule said health authorities would help initiation schools minimize the spread of the pandemic.
“Three bottles of 750ml sanitizer per day for each initiation school and one mask (surgical or similar) per person per day will be provided.
“We have MOU’s (memorandum of understanding) with different support partners such as Right to Care, Japieco SA, etc. and the responsibility of providing PPEs (personal protective equipment) to initiates rests with them.”
He added that two trainings for traditional surgeons have been planned for in Nkangala district, one in Gert Sibande district and the last two will be in Ehlanzeni district before the start of the initiation period.
“Whilst we encourage all initiates to vaccinate against COVID-19, it is not a mandatory requirement to do so,” he said.
The department also said that the resumption of initiation schools will create temporary employment for medical staff.
“With the assistance of our partners, we are going to increase our capacity by employing more nurses in order for us to handle any disaster that may occur.
“The nurses will be contracted on a temporary basis by Right to Care including doctors and not the department directly,” added Malamule.
“And a minimum number of boys to be admitted in the initiations schools is encouraged.”
Mpumalanga Initiation Coordinating Committee is yet to determine the final counting for number of applications for initiation schools.
The committee will also determine the official opening and closing dates for the cultural rituals that are held in high esteem by many amongst MaNdebele, Bapedi, Mapulana, Vhatsonga and some other tribes as rites of passage from boyhood to manhood.
In past years before COVID-19 motivated ban, Limpopo occupied number one spot for experiencing nil to minimal fatalities during cultural initiation practices.
This was mainly due to the establishment of monitoring teams comprising health workers, traditional leaders and police.
Circumcision procedures at cultural initiations in the province are mostly performed by hired medical doctors who themselves had graduated from the rituals.
It should also be noted that most boys and some men in Limpopo first undergo male medical circumcision (MMC) years or months before going for cultural initiation rituals.
In a several telephonic and messaging attempts made by the newspaper, Limpopo House of Traditional Leaders chairperson Kgoshi Malesela Dikgale has not responded to give a comment on preparation of this year initiation schools.