Deaths of 8 initiates in the Eastern Cape, since the beginning of the initiation season on 17 June
2022, could have been prevented if all actors involved – communities, traditional leaders,
traditional health practitioners and government worked together to implement measures that
protect young men throughout the initiation process, says the South African National Council’s
Civil Society Forum (SANAC CSF)
CSF says all stakeholders involved in implementing such measures are failing communities and
young men due to their lack of coordination, leadership, and proactive collective action.
“It is tragic and frustrating that each year we wait to hear how many initiates have died, it is not
a question of whether there will be deaths, but it is about how many. The sad part is that there
are plans in place but there are always challenges in implementation”, Ntando Yola, Chairperson
of the CSF Men’s Sector says.
The CSF Men’s Sector successfully called for the suspension of the December 2019 initiation
season in the affected regions following the untimely deaths of 32 initiates, at the backdrop of
nearly 700 deaths from botched circumcision in the last decade in South Africa.
Once again, we call on the Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities (CRL) to suspend
initiation in the affected areas with immediate effect.
The proud heritage of an old age African practice is being systematically undermined by the
continuous unnecessary loss of lives of African males particularly in an era where there are readily
available modern technologies that allow for secure shelter,
The Traditional Health Practitioners Act 22 of 2007 recognises the role of Traditional Health
Practitioners in South Africa to serve and protect the interests of members of the public who use
their services, and the Traditional Circumcision Act 6 of 2001 regulates the traditional
circumcision practice and sets health standards to be followed by the traditional attendants,
however leadership, coordination and implementation remain a serious challenge.
“We call on all relevant sectors, especially Traditional Leaders and Traditional Health Practitioners,
led by the Men’s Sector, to work together to implement multi-sectoral, multi-stakeholder and
intersectional plans to address this scourge and ensure that that deaths of youth at initiation
schools do not happen again”, says Solly Nduku, CSF Deputy Chairperson.
CSF also call for immediate interventions to prevent address these unnecessary deaths and for
all parties involved to be held accountable.
# ENDS #
For all Media enquiries:
Contact: Nthateng Mhlambiso – CSF Communications Officer
Email: nthateng@sanaccsf.org.za Tel: 012 784 1000 Mobile: +27 72 715 5425
Notes to Editors:
The SANAC Civil Society Forum (CSF) is a formal advisory body established in 2012 by the South
African National AIDS Council to facilitate the participation of Civil Society Organisations and
networks, including those representing People Living with HIV, in the HIV and AIDS and TB within
the National HIV response and for the implementation thereof National Strategic Plan (NSP) on
HIV, TB and STI’s through sectors.
The SANAC CSF aims to promote an inclusive, competent, and responsive civil society that
effectively serves the needs of the people of the South African communities, by linking and
diversifying civil society actors, expanding the sectors and communities where civil society
contributes, improving civil society organisations’ operations, and enhancing connections
between civil society organisations with their stakeholders and constituents.
Website: www.sanaccsf.org.za | Facebook | Twitter