Horror stories of botched circumcisions, violence and illegal initiation schools have not only harmed the credibility of the cultural practice but also damaged public trust in it.
So, when the story of Mahlankane Mathobela, 72, made headlines this week, it added another blight to the culture that is part of a long-standing tradition observed during the winter school holidays.
Mathobela was enjoying his beer at home when a group of initiates broke through his gate, beat him up and dragged him to a nearby mountain where he was circumcised by force.
The horrific incident happened in Mamatsha near Polokwane, Limpopo.
Mathobela’s neighbour, Sipho Phoshoko, 39, was also abducted and taken to the mountain, but after severely beating him, his abductors realised that he was circumcised, and he escaped.
Mathobela wasn’t so lucky, so he lay in the bush bleeding from his injuries. He would spend the night under guard before he was rescued by government officials inspecting initiation schools the next day.
He was taken to the hospital, where he was discharged this week. Mathobela said the incident has left him embarrassed and scarred.
Three people, including a traditional healer, have since appeared in court charged with the assault and kidnapping of Mathobela and Phoshoko. They were released on R2,000 bail each until they must return to court on September 18.
What Mathobela and Phoshoko’s story highlights is the urgent need to rid initiation practices of rogue elements and thuggery. Despite efforts to regulate the practice, far too many initiates continue to die at the hands of bogus surgeons while many who survive are left with lasting trauma from assaults and botched circumcisions.
A week ago, the Eastern Cape department of cooperative governance and traditional affairs reported that five initiates had died in Nqeleni, Lusikisiki, Qumbu and East London, halfway into the winter initiation season.
The deaths at illegal initiation schools are nothing more than murders, which ought to be investigated by the police. They know these illegal schools are mushrooming every winter season, yet do not act to protect vulnerable people from their thuggery.
What happened to Mathobela and Phoshoko is not an isolated incident, but a pattern of violence unleashed on people, especially those in rural communities, without recourse.
There are simply not enough inspections carried out by officials, even at legal initiation schools, to be able to safeguard lives. And when the perpetrators of these violent brutalities are apprehended, the sanctions they face are disproportionate to the crimes they have committed.
It’s time we rid culture of the initiation of these bad apples that have tainted it with impunity for so long.
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