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A 19-year-old initiate from Willowvale, Eastern Cape, who was assisted by Sindiswa Gomba, the provincial health MEC, when undergoing the traditional ceremony, graduated on Friday, healthy and in good spirits.
His successful initiation comes after 28 fellow abakhwetha (initiates) died in the province during this summer initiation season.
This is the highest number of initiate deaths since the Customary Male Initiation Practice Act was passed into law in 2016.
Masilakhe Maruqula’s umgidi (traditional homecoming ceremony) was held in his village of Mahasana.
The initiate, who has only completed Grade 9, underwent the traditional rite of passage to manhood with the help of Gomba, who was moved to action after learning that Maruqula’s family was poor and could not afford to take him to an initiation school.
During his homecoming ceremony, an ox, six sheep and a pig were slaughtered.
Gomba has also helped Maruqula to enrol at a further education and training college, where he will do electrical studies.
Provincial health spokesperson Sizwe Kupelo said Gomba further intervened by roping in a prominent Port Elizabeth-based businessperson and the provincial department of human settlements to build the destitute family a fully furnished house. The family had been living in dilapidated mud huts.
“The family’s plight came to the MEC’s attention during an oversight visit last year, when a senior health official sacrificed her shoes for the 19-year-old’s mother who had been walking barefoot.
“[Maruqula], who previously could not undergo the traditional rite of passage because of financial constraints, will now call himself a man and have an opportunity to change his family’s circumstances when he completes his studies in electricity,” said Kupelo.
Gomba, who personally attended the umgidi, told City Press after the event that they had a big feast and the village braved the rainy weather to celebrate with the ikrwala (initiation graduate).
Gomba said it was important for amakhankatha (traditional nurses) to play their role as caretakers as they spend the most time with initiates after they have undergone the surgical procedure.
She said she was pleased to hear Maruqula’s ikhankatha give a detailed account of the journey of the initiate, which reassured the family.
The MEC also sent a medical doctor from her office to check on Maruqula while he was at the initiation school, who found in him in perfect condition because of the sterling work that was done by the traditional nurse.
Gomba said that, although Maruqula’s father was sickly, he had also spent time visiting the initiation school to ensure that his son was in good hands.
“The care from parents is crucial and so is the role of traditional nurses, who play a key part in the process of traditional initiation.”
The MEC criticised the continued death of initiates.
“When we grew up, there were no initiate deaths. Our own brothers underwent traditional initiation, our children and even our fathers and forefathers underwent traditional initiation ... they never died,” she said.
Gomba said complications that result in initiates being admitted to hospitals put further strain on the department’s already stretched resources.
“We do not have enough doctors to [look after initiates on top of the regular patient load]. It puts a lot of strain on government,” said the MEC.
Meanwhile, Eastern Cape House of Traditional Leaders chairperson Nkosi Mwelo Nonkonyana said they were concerned, alarmed and disappointed over the high number of initiate deaths.
Following the passing of the act, the number of initiate deaths dropped in the summer of December 2017 to 17 – from 31 deaths in 2016. In the 2018 summer initiation season, there were 21 initiate deaths in the province.
“We don’t want even one death and we have done everything humanly possible [to prevent them], but it is clear that the criminals have identified a loophole in the act and are circumventing it. That is why I have said there must be a task team set up to overhaul the legislation,” he said.
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