As young men across the country are embarking on a sacred path and a cultural journey, which will graduate them into manhood, communities, including parents, remain an important part and a necessary ingredient in the process to ensure a successful customary initiation season.
Customary initiation holds a significant place in our cultural heritage, serving as a vital bridge between the past and the present, ensuring the preservation of our customs and values. It is a part of our identity, a rite of passage that molds individuals and strengthens our community fabric.
While it is true that difficulties and terrible things have occasionally occurred during initiation, it is crucial to understand that these are exceptions rather than the rule. When properly executed and overseen, customary initiation ensures the physical and mental health of young initiates.
The process of initiation itself serves as a safeguard against the challenges that young people face in today’s rapidly changing world. It provides a structured environment for personal growth, teaching discipline, resilience and respect.
As relatives, friends and neighbours gather to support and celebrate the initiates during the initiation period, initiation also promotes a sense of community and belonging. It is a moment when ties are cemented, connections are made and a seed of shared accountability is sown.
Unfortunately, some unscrupulous persons are using the custom for commercial gains and have no regard to life and tradition. This is evident from the rise of illegal initiation schools in both urban and rural areas. The deaths of initiates in illegal initiation schools are a stark reminder of the deep-rooted criminality.
The illegal schools often operate without proper oversight, experienced traditional surgeons, principals, mentors or access to adequate medical care. As a result, initiates are exposed to life-threatening conditions, including unhygienic environments, physical abuse, lack of proper nutrition and water and inadequate medical attention. It is a gross violation of their rights and a tragedy that should be avoided.
Realising a need to address this challenge, the government enacted the Customary Initiation Act (Act No. 2 of 2021). The main purpose of the act is to protect lives, prevent all forms of abuse initiates may be subjected to.
There is now a regulatory framework that has led to the establishment of statutory structures that oversee and monitor all aspects of customary initiation.
In this regard, as part of implementation of the act, we have established the National Initiation Oversight Committee and provinces have established their provincial initiation coordinating committees (Piccs). Thus, all role players that participate in customary initiation are expected to support and cooperate with these structures.
It is for this reason that we launched the awareness campaign on the Customary Initiation Act on June 23 under the theme “Preserving lives, Promoting the custom”. The awareness campaign is an important milestone in our country’s journey towards protecting lives and preventing all forms of abuse stemming from the practice of customary initiation.
The awareness campaigns are aimed at educating the public about the act and promote compliance, including, but not limited to, the registration of initiation schools.
For an initiation school to be regarded as legal, it must be registered with the relevant provincial initiation coordinating committee. It is therefore an offence to hold/operate an illegal or unregistered customary initiation school and, on conviction the perpetrator will be liable to a fine or imprisonment for a period not exceeding 15 years in prison or both the fine and imprisonment.
The act requires the initiation season to coincide with school holidays. Simply put, customary initiation should be conducted during school holidays only and may not interfere or overlap with official school terms.
However, these provisions do not apply to an initiation school that is attended exclusively by initiates who have already completed secondary education.
It is an offence to abduct or force any person to attend an initiation school or to allow a person to attend an initiation school without a valid consent form and therefore on conviction the perpetrator will be liable to a fine or imprisonment for a period not exceeding 10 years in prison or both the fine and imprisonment.
Also, children under the age of 16 may not undergo initiation. Children between the ages of 16 and 18 years may not attend initiation school for purposes of being initiated, unless written consent by the child and his/her parents or legal guardian has been given. A person who is 18 years and above may attend initiation school subject to their written consent they do not require parental consent).
• Nkadimeng is the minister of cooperative governance and traditional affairs
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