Circumcision death toll rises
2006-07-13 19:09
Cape Town - The circumcision death toll in the Eastern Cape has reached 19 with news on Thursday of the death of another initiate, the provincial health department said.
An official said the 18-year-old youth died after being circumcised at an illegal initiation school at Mgwuenyane village in the Libode area of Transkei.
Police said no arrests had been made yet.
Earlier this week, the Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities warned action was needed to stop initiation deaths from ruining the custom.
"These tragedies undermine the very essence of this historically tested cultural practice," commission chairman Mongezi Guma said.
The National House of Traditional Leaders last week announced a four-member task team to get "first hand information" on circumcision problems.
- SAPA