Williams urged parents to continue to ensure that initiates were circumcised by qualified surgeons. He said his department had trained more than 300 surgeons in preparation for this circumcision season.
“We are not getting parents to use these trained surgeons and therefore if, as a parent, you don’t do that it means you are killing your child.”
Williams encouraged the communities of circumcised men to assist and motivate initiates.
“One initiate burnt to death. The initiate was left alone, made a fire and slept, only for the hut to burn down,” he said. “Those who have been arrested are the traditional surgeons and assistants who have circumcised children without screening reports or without the parents’ permission.”
Williams and Eastern Cape House of Traditional and Khoi-San Leaders chair Nkosi Mpumalanga Gwadiso said monitoring teams were working hard to ensure safety in initiation schools and those breaking the law were arrested.
“We will continue to stamp the authority of the state on any form of lawlessness for the safe passage of children to adulthood. Watch this space,” he said.
Gwadiso raised concerns about the increasingly violent imiguyo [boys’ pre-initiation ceremonies] activities.
LULAMILE FENI, ASANDA NINI, MPUMZI MSHWESHWE
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