EAST LONDON – The Customary Male Initiation Strategic Planning Summit entered its second day at the prestigious East London Golf Club on the 31st October 2023 ,where prominent leaders and stakeholders gathered to address the critical issues surrounding traditional male initiation rites. Day 2 of the summit concentrated on reviewing the reports of the four Commissions, which meticulously examined the challenges and proposed solutions related to Customary Male Initiation.
Among the distinguished attendees at the summit was the Premier of the Eastern Cape,Oscar Lubabalo Mabuyane. He delivered a poignant message emphasizing the importance of preserving tradition while ensuring the safety and well-being of the participants. Mabuyane stated, “Our culture is not supposed to kill,” underlining the necessity of evolving these rites to protect the lives of young initiates. The Premier further said “ We can’t continue to pass condolences to families every initiation season in this province. As leaders gathered here today, we must do something that will stop the carnage.” Mabuyane
One of the key issues discussed during the summit was the prevalence of alcohol and drug use within initiation schools. Mabuyane urged parents to take an active role in monitoring and preventing such behaviors, as they can pose significant risks to the health and safety of the initiates. “ Our obligation is to the young men of our province – to ensure their safety while preserving our cultural values. Our challenges are deep-rooted and multifaceted. We are grappling with the harmful beliefs that restrict our initiates from consuming water post-circumcision, leading to avoidable deaths and severe complications.We must confront the unfortunate stigma that associating with health settings brings, pushing our young men to the brink of despair. Furthermore, the exposure of initiates to various environmental threats has resulted in unnecessary tragedies,” added Mabuyane
He also called for a collective effort to “write a new chapter for the Eastern Cape,where tradition and safety coexist.”
Xhosa traditional surgeon ( Ingcibi) Ndodomzi Gquzawe who was present the summit emphasized the importance of parents taking their children for check ups before going to initiation “ I always ask parents to take their children 3 months before for a full hospital check up to avoid any complications and infection once they are there at initiation school, even 15 days before I strongly support them to be taken in for check ups just to be on the safe side,” Gquzawe.
The summit continues to serve as a platform for open dialogue and strategic planning to ensure that Customary Male Initiation continues to be a meaningful cultural practice while safeguarding the lives and well-being of the participants. It remains a testament to the commitment of Eastern Cape leaders to find innovative solutions that honor tradition without compromising safety.
