Ladies and gentlemen of the media, welcome to this joint briefing on the initiation cultural practices.

The Departments of Traditional Affairs and Health together with the National House of Traditional Leaders wish to give perspective on the issue of traditional initiation, circumcision and steps taken and to be undertaken to make the process safer.

Government, traditional leaders and various stakeholders endeavoured to protect the initiation practice to ensure the safety of the initiates. These efforts manifested into various interventions which included the institution working with the Human Rights Commission as well as the Indaba on Initiation convened in June 2013.

Traditional leaders as the custodians of African culture and heritage have always been at the forefront of this practice. Through the years this very important cultural practice has evolved and was subjected to exploitation and commercialisation. Government calls on parents to be alert and not take their children to illegal and bogus schools. To this effect, we encourage people to respect this traditional and cultural practice that has been part of us for generations.

The winter season signals the start of the initiation period in the South African calendar, young males from across the country are gearing to enter initiation schools and commence with the rite of passage to adulthood. Government encourages all initiates to involve their parents or elders before undergoing the cultural practice of initiation.

The loss of life that has occurred over the years prompted government and the traditional leadership, to embark on a drive to restore the integrity and dignity of the practice.

Government resolved to implement the resolutions of the 2013 Initiation within the ambit of the existing legislations.

• The family/parents/legal guardians have to play a central role to ensure that the young men are psychologically and physically fit to undergo initiation.
• Owners of illegal initiation schools be arrested and prosecuted.
• Traditional circumcision practice must be modernised and funded by government to eradicate bogus practitioners and illegal schools.
• In some areas, initiation schools are scattered and very difficult to manage and to enforce compliance; it is proposed that each village which believes in this cultural practice centralises the initiation area. This will also enhance monitoring and medical intervention where necessary.
• Suitably qualified, appropriately trained and registered traditional surgeons must be allowed to perform circumcision on male initiates on approved and designated facilities by the appropriate authorities.
• All circumcisions must be performed under the supervision of the medically qualified professionals in a sanitised environment.
• Suitably qualified care-givers with proven experience, appropriately trained and registered by the appropriate authorities must be considered for taking care of the initiates in loco parentis.
• An integrated approved inspection team including security officials and senior traditional leaders must be appointed by appropriate authorities to strictly check compliance throughout the season in all registered initiation schools.
• Awareness campaign must be stepped up to inform vulnerable parents, guardians, young men and affected communities about some of the harmful effects associated with initiation schools.

Going forward, all the stakeholders are expected to play an active role in managing this customary practice and taking the initiative that, in the long run, could rid the customary practice of bogus schools and commercialisation of the practice in the country.

A majority of the Provincial Houses of Traditional Leaders has partnered with the Department of Health and South African Police Services to deal with the challenges arising from commercialisation of the customary practices and illegal initiation schools and we will continue to intensify this partnership in order to ensure zero fatalities.

This is geared to ensuring zero fatalities in this period which experience loss of life of initiates and this is a worrisome factor to the Government and the Institution of Traditional Leadership.

Government calls on all stakeholders to play their part and ensure the safety of our initiates by reporting illegal and bogus initiation schools to the nearest police stations across the country.

I thank you