Initiation rite could be legally challenged – Minister

Eastern Cape traditional leaders and their communities have been warned that someone could successfully litigate against the sacred custom of male initiation if hundreds of young lives continue to be lost through the rite. A Daily Dispatch report says the warning was issued by Co-operative Governance & Traditional Affairs (Cogta) Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa on Saturday, during a meeting in Mthatha with various traditional leaders, statutory and non-statutory structures, to collectively chart a roadmap towards safer customary initiation and a zero-death target. ‘It would be a sad day in life if someone could challenge in court the sacred custom of traditional initiation, and the court decides that because the Constitution of the country protects the right to life, the death of 371 young people over eight years, under the name of culture, necessitate decisions that can stand against our culture,’ Hlabisa said. He said from 2016 to 2024, a total of 371 initiates had died and 110 had undergone penile amputations. ‘These are not just numbers but lives of children who are the future leaders of our country, some of whom were the only children of their parents. A key objective of the meeting is to engage in frank and robust discussions, and find permanent resolutions to ensure that the upcoming initiation seasons are conducted seamlessly, with zero fatalities. This engagement forms part of a broader national effort to enhance the safety of traditional initiation and will also contribute to the review and enforcement of the Customary Initiation Act,’ Hlabisa said. ‘Initiation culture must be protected, supported and promoted, but we must bring an end to the senseless fatalities that are gripping traditional initiation in the Eastern Cape.’ He said the engagement was an opportunity to strengthen stakeholder collaboration and come up with an all-inclusive approach to protecting and promoting culture.