Ramaphosa: More needs to be done to curb initiation deaths
President Cyril Ramaphosa has urged traditional leaders to do more to prevent the loss of life during initiations.
Ramaphosa spoke at the opening of the National House of Traditional and Khoi-San Leaders in Cape Town on Thursday.
The president’s plea came as customary initiation practices continue to battle with initiate deaths, mostly driven by illegal initiation schools.
This after 34 initiates died from various causes during the summer initiation in the Eastern Cape.
This is 11 more than the 23 initiates who died in the 2022 summer season.
Ramaphosa said traditional leaders should not allow the initiation practices to turn into the valley of death.
“We need to do all in our powers as government, communities, traditional leaders, the National Initiation Oversight Committee and provincial structures to put an end to these unnecessary and entirely avoidable deaths and injuries of our young boy,” Ramaphosa said.
“In the meantime, the Department of the Justice and Constitutional Development and the Department of Traditional Affairs have started with some of the preparatory work that will facilitate implementation.
“This includes visiting some of the traditional councils to further discuss their approaches to alternative dispute resolution and the resources they deploy in this regard. This is a matter on which we are finally making good progress, and I hope that is something you recognise.
“It is always saddening when we hear stories of how young boys go into initiation and come out as corpses. This is a practice that you as traditional leaders need to take hold of and make sure that our young boys go to initiation alive and come out alive.”
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