E Cape circumcision toll rises

2008-07-03 16:05

Cape Town - Circumcision deaths in the Eastern Cape continue to climb with reports on Thursday of four more fatalities in the Transkei.

The deaths brought the total for the current winter circumcision season to 19, provincial Health Department spokesperson Sizwe Kupelo said.

He said the body of an 18-year-old youth was discovered on Thursday afternoon by department officials and police visiting an illegal school at Rainy village in the Libode area.

Four other boys from the same school were rushed to St Barnabas hospital in Libode town with severe septic wounds.

Kupelo said the traditional surgeon responsible for their circumcisions had been arrested and would be charged with culpable homicide and illegal circumcision.

There was a possibility that the parents of the dead boy could also face charges, because the traditional nurse at the school claimed that he went to the father on three separate occasions to warn that his son's health was deteriorating.

The father allegedly visited the school and declared that his son was "fine".

Kupelo said the department received reports on Thursday of the deaths of three other teenage would-be initiates at illegal schools in the same Western Pondoland area, that happened earlier this week.

"It's so unfortunate," he said. "One death is too many to us.

"We will still continue with our attempts to save lives, and will stop at nothing to achieve that goal."

Though post mortems had not yet been carried out on the latest victims, the usual causes of initiate deaths were septic wounds, or dehydration.

He said youths at an illegal school at Gxulu village, where two would-be initiates died on Saturday and on Tuesday, were evading authorities.

Though department officials and police had tried to close it down, the school had merely moved to new sites, the boys fleeing into the bush when the officials approached.

He said the Gibisela traditional council in the Libode area on Thursday morning endorsed a proposal for a single traditional surgeon and four nurses responsible for the entire council area, which covers eight villages.

The actual circumcisions would be performed only on the premises of the council offices, and a guardian or parent of the youth would have to be present.

The resolution would be taken to the Nyandeni Great Place, with the suggestion that similar measures be enforced across Western Pondoland.

- SAPA