A 28-year-old man has been sentenced to three years in prison after pleading guilty to illegally circumcising two 11-year-old Eastern Cape boys without their parents’ consent.
The Port St Johns magistrate’s court found Orlando Ngcaca guilty on two counts of contravening the Customary Initiation Act of 2021. The court noted that while the victims did not suffer permanent disfigurement or loss of penile function, Ngcaca’s actions had placed their lives at serious risk.
“The children could easily have died under the reckless care of the so-called surgeon and his accomplices,” said the Eastern Cape’s director of public prosecutions, Adv Barry Madolo.
“These cases are seldom finalised due to noncompliance with investigations,” he said. “Initiates often believe that revealing certain secrets of the custom in court undermines their manhood, making them reluctant to testify or submit statements.”
The incident happened on November 27 at Siqhozameni. The two boys had approached Ngcaca the day before with R30, asking him to circumcise them. He refused, demanding R100 or live chickens as payment, and told them to return the following day.
Madolo said: “When the boys came back to reclaim their money, Ngcaca instead forced them into a rondavel at his home, circumcised them, and sent them to an initiation school. He did so without obtaining the required medical certificates or their parents’ consent, as stipulated by law.”
Police arrested Ngcaca after the parents reported him. He appeared in court on 9 December and was released on R1,000 bail.
Welcoming Ngcana's sentence, Madolo commended the parents’ bravery in pursuing justice.
“The courage shown by these parents ensured that accountability was served.”
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