E Cape: 10 circumcision deaths
2005-12-14 16:32
Cape Town - Ten boys have died of dehydration and septic wounds in the Eastern Cape since the beginning of the summer circumcision season, the province's health department said on Wednesday.
At least 58 boys had been admitted to hospital, more than 20 illegal schools closed down and more than 200 would-be initiates "rescued".
Fifteen people had been arrested for conducting circumcisions or running schools in contravention of the province's circumcision legislation, which sets strict rules for the ceremony.
Male circumcision - the cutting off the foreskin - is widely practised in Xhosa society as part of a ritual that proponents say makes "men" of boys.
- SAPA