South African authorities have suspended several initiation schools in the Eastern Cape following the deaths of at least 20 boys during circumcision ceremonies. The country's religious and cultural commission announced a one-year suspension for schools in various areas, calling for the arrest of those responsible.
The traditional practice, known as ukwaluka, involves boys aged 15 to 17 spending weeks in seclusion in mountainous areas, where they undergo circumcision and are taught about manhood. While the ritual is a celebrated rite of passage for ethnic groups like the Xhosa and Ndebele, botched procedures have led to deaths and disfigurement.
Since 2012, more than 400 boys have died from complications such as dehydration, septic wounds, and malnutrition. Hundreds were hospitalised last year for penile amputation and other injuries. The government has noted a rise in unregistered schools, which are often operated for profit without proper oversight.
In June, over 100 boys were rescued from unregistered schools in the Eastern Cape. Spokesperson Mamkeli Ngam told News24 that the commercialisation of the practice is against tradition. Authorities now require traditional surgeons to register and have medics visit registered schools, though unregistered ones remain difficult to monitor.
