The Daily Dispatch E-Edition

Initiation death toll still climbing

‘Imigidi’ now permitted, though subject to strict adherence to all health protocols

Septicaemia and dehydration are still the main contributors to the death of initiates

Thirteen initiates have died in the winter season — two more since last week — and there are still six days to go.

OR Tambo traditional initiation forum district chair Nkosi Mkhanyiseli Dudumayo said two initiates, one aged 17 and another aged 23, had died near Flagstaff.

The latest death toll was released a day after President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the easing of lockdown regulations including the sale of alcohol and indoor and outdoor gatherings.

Ramaphosa effectively lifted the ban on imigidi (traditional initiation graduation ceremonies).

According to regulations in the July 25 Government Gazette, imigidi are now permitted, subject to strict adherence to all health protocols and social distancing measures.

“Post-initiation celebrations [imigidi] are permitted, subject to limitation of 50 people or less for indoors venues and 100 people or less for outdoor venues.

“If the venue is too small to hold the prescribed number of people, observing a distance of at least one and half metres from each other, then not more than 50% of the capacity of the venue may be used,” read the gazette.

Initiation and imigidi were suspended on June 27 due to rise in the Covid-19 infections.

The remaining issue was to monitor initiation schools that existed before the suspension.

In an interview with the Daily Dispatch on Monday, Eastern Cape House of Traditional Leaders (ECHTL) acting chair Nkosi Langa Mavuso, and chair of the provincial initiation coordinating committee, said the provincial executive council had approved the ECHTL’S winter 2021 initiation risk adjusted strategy in May 2021.

“The initiation season was subsequently declared open with effect from the June 11 to

July 30.

“All initiation forums were activated throughout the province to ensure effective monitoring of the programme,” Mavuso said.

The committee had to monitor the existing initiation schools and prevent further initiations ceremonies.

“In some areas people continued with new initiations and the law took its course hence the arrests,” Mavuso said.

Mavuso said OR Tambo was the worst area with eight reported deaths.

“In Mqanduli, five people including parents were arrested after 16 boys were initiated on July 1 2021 in contravention of the lockdown regulations.

“In Buffalo City, a parent and ingcibi [traditional surgeon] were arrested on July 2.”

Mavuso said parental negligence was still the main contributing factor because most initiates who died had been illegally initiated.

This was despite extensive safety campaigns.

“Septicaemia and dehydration are still the main contributors to the death of initiates, which is a clear indication that proper care is not given to initiates.

“Even though there are monitoring teams consisting of traditional leaders, officials from the departments of health and Cogta, illegal initiation sites are hidden in the not-easy-to-reach areas.

“The teams only get to know about such initiation schools when the initiate is at a critical stage or has passed on.”

OR Tambo traditional initiation forum district chair Nkosi Mkhanyiseli Dudumayo said: “We already have eight deaths and the season is not yet over. Eight is a disaster.”

Dudumayo said the initiates who died were aged 14 to 26 and all their initiations had been illegal. All the huts were hidden and parents were “not assisting”.

Some of the initiates, if not all, would have lived if parents had co-operated and not broken the law and hid the illegal initiates, he said.

Front Page

en-za

2021-07-27T07:00:00.0000000Z

2021-07-27T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://dispatch.pressreader.com/article/281530819053853

Arena Holdings PTY