Parliament, Friday, 20 December 2019 - The Portfolio Committee on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) has learnt with sadness the death of the 21 boys at initiation schools in the Eastern Cape during the current summer initiation season. According to media reports, all the boys have died because of dehydration.
The committee condemns the death of the boys in strongest terms as it took place due to negligent application of restriction of water to the initiates on grounds of culture. "This could have been avoided if traditional practices such as water restrictions to initiates before and after the initiation can be reviewed from time to time to ensure that if they threaten the lives of the initiates in the fast changing weather conditions, they are discontinued," said the Chairperson of the committee, Ms Faith Muthambi.
The committee calls on the National House of Traditional Leaders (NHTL) to investigate the death of the initiates. Furthermore, the committee also urge the NHTL to come up with new solutions on how to continue with the tradition of initiation in the changing climatic and weather conditions to ensure that not a single life is lost in the future.
Ms Muthambi said: “The heart breaking deaths happen at a time when families are preparing to be together for the festive season. We are extending our heartfelt condolences to the families and friends of these boys."
The committee will invite the leadership of the Congress of Traditional Leaders of South Africa (CONTRALESA) to come to Parliament in the new year with a purpose of finding solutions to the problems of the tradition of initiation.
ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMUNICATION SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON COGTA, MS FAITH MUTHAMBI.
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E-mail: sugovender@parliament.gov.za
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