The City of Cape Town is committed to working with the Cape Metro Initiation Forums to ensure this season’s initiates have a safe and healthy rite of passage into manhood, with special emphasis on compliance with the Customary Initiation Act.
As part of its commitment to ensuring the safety of initiates, the City will continue to supplement basic services at identified sites that have obtained the necessary permit to operate an Initiation School.
All Initiation Schools must comply with the Customary Initiation Act of 2021, which seeks to regulate Initiation Schools, and safeguard initiates.
During the previous initiation season, 36 initiates died in the Eastern Cape, and already this year, another young life has been lost in that province.
‘I am working closely with Minister Anroux Marais, the Cape Metro Initiation Forums and all spheres of government to ensure initiates go through this rite of passage safely. I’ve requested the City’s Health Department to do all it can to help mitigate the risks to our young people. I also want to encourage initiation school principals to acquire permits for initiation sites ,and ensure that their sites are compliant with the legislation.
I will also be working with the provincial department of Cultural Affairs and Sport in the new year to help address concerns raised by the Cape Metro Sotho and Hlubi Forums about not having sites for their initiation practices,’ said Proportional Representation (PR) Councillor for Subcouncil 17, Councillor Anda Ntsodo.
‘All our clinics offer a range of primary healthcare services, and we urge would-be initiates to visit their nearest facility to check for, and treat any sexually transmitted infections before undergoing traditional circumcision. The City is committed to finding a balance between a very important custom, and the health of our young men attending the Initiation Schools,’ added Mayoral Committee Member for Community Services and Health, Councillor Patricia Van der Ross.
The City has also committed, along with the Western Cape Government Health and Wellness Department,
Initiation Schools are reminded that they need to obtain registration before the start of the initiation season, from the provincial Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport.
Anyone who has knowledge of an illegal initiation school or practices, or any emergency linked to initiation season, can call the City’s Public Emergency Communication Centre on 021 480 7700 from a cellphone or 107 from a landline.
If parents have any questions or concerns about initiation schools, they can contact Cllr. Ntsodo on 083 589 8260.
Source: City Of Cape Town