Western Cape government ready for initiation season

Lusanda Bill
13 November 2014

The Western Cape Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport today launched its initiation season plan. 

In the last five years an estimated 313 initiates have died and around 1 865 have been injured due to initiation rituals gone wrong. 

MEC Nomafrench Mbombo said the role of the provincial government is to provide the support needed to ensure that initiation schools are a safe place for all.

Mbombo said the death of young people during this time is a national crisis.  The provincial government developed an Initiation Framework and Protcol in 2011 which is in three languages to address some of the challenges.

“We believe that this protocol has allowed us to keep many young men through initiation safe and this is reflected by the low fatality rate in the province.

Meanwhile the department says that the challenges associated with initiation require national legislation or regulations to be enacted to tackle it more effectively through the power of hard law rather than soft law like policy.

MEC Nomafrench Mbombo said the department ensures that appropriate systems are in place to mitigate possible risks related to the initiation season.

Mbombo said in terms of the summer season we have done the preparations and we have trained 118 cultural practitioners who consist of four traditional surgeons and 114 carers.

“There are a total of 30 initiation forums that have been established within sites where sites are present, we have engaged with 14 municipalities to sensitize them to the practice within the municipal boarders” Mbombo added.

The department has also allocated medical officers for Eden, Central Karoo, Cape Winelands and Metro and they can be approached in an event of an emergency.