Twenty initiates have died following botched circumcisions in the Eastern Cape, the provincial health department said on Thursday.
“The deaths occurred over the past 12 days, with nine of them occurring over the past 24 hours,” spokesperson Sizwe Kupelo said.
Sixty boys were rescued from 11 initiation schools that had since been closed down. They were taken to hospitals in the area.
“All 60 of them have septic wounds and are dehydrated … four of the boys even need their genitals removed completely, as it could result in death if it’s not. We are just waiting for consent from their parents to perform the procedures.”
Officials from the department raided illegal initiation schools in the Port St Johns area and Libode.
“Operations would continue in other areas tomorrow,” he said.
Provincial health minister Phumulo Masuale and the king of western Pondoland visited the Nelson Mandela Academic Hospital in Mthatha on Thursday.
They also visited illegal initiation schools in Mthatha, Libode and Lusikisiki, before meeting traditional leaders in the areas about the deaths.
Earlier this week, seven under-aged initiates were rescued from an illegal initiation school run by Mtshiyelwa Mtshayina Ndoda, a 55-year-old unregistered traditional surgeon who had been arrested several times for the offence.
“He was recently given a three-year suspended sentence but he continued doing the same thing. In the past five years close to 20 initiates died in his schools and 15 had their penises amputated.”
Ndoda has a pending case of operating an illegal initiation school which would be heard on July 22.
Kupelo said the department was also seeking meetings with the police, justice department and the National Prosecuting Authority to discuss the prosecution of those contravening the Traditional
Circumcision Act, which regulates the custom in the province.
“The major problem is that parents are reluctant to prosecute illegal traditional surgeons who sometimes force their children into circumcision at a very young age.
“We identify the perpetrators, but if parents are not willing to open cases against them, they are freed and continue illegally circumcising and killing these boys,” Kupelo said.
Last year, 91 initiates died and hundreds were hospitalised in the province. – Sapa