Parliament, Tuesday, 5 July 2022 – The Portfolio Committee on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) today conducted an oversight visit to two initiation schools in Port St John’s which is part of the OR Tambo District Municipality.
The committee was briefed about initiation challenges in Port St John’s Local Municipality, Ngquza Hill Local Municipality, King Sabatha Dalindyebo (KSD) Local Municipality, Nyandeni Local Municipality and Mhlontlo Local Municipality. The National Initiation Oversight Committee established by the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs and the Eastern Cape Provincial Initiation Coordinating Committee formed part of the team that is accompanying the committee on these oversight visits.
The committee has noted that preparations were done in line with the Customary Initiation Act that became effective on 1 September 2021 in the two legal initiation schools it visited in Port St John's today.
The committee was informed of the unfortunate deaths of eight initiates in the Eastern Cape since the start of the season which started on 17 June 2022. These deaths are in the KSD Local Municipality and Mhlontlo Local Municipality. The committee will be visiting the KSD municipality tomorrow as part of its oversight programme. The committee will be provided with additional information on the cause of these deaths.
Furthermore, the committee was informed that there are 66 confirmed legal initiation schools and 68 illegal initiation schools in the OR Tambo District. The committee was also informed that the closure of illegal initiation schools was complicated by the fact that there are no hospital beds available for the initiates that are rescued from these illegal schools and that the erstwhile rescue centres are no longer operational due to the Covid-19 pandemic and depletion of resources.
The Customary Initiation Act is clear on what action needs to be taken against illegal schools. They have to be closed down and the committee expects traditional surgeons and nurses who are part of these illegal schools to be arrested and charged.
The committee is clear that law enforcement agencies should not tolerate any lawless behaviour from communities that protect illegal traditional surgeons and nurses. Additionally, the police informed the committee that they have made 8 arrests and opened 21 cases for the current season.
The committee further commends the decision taken by Matatiele in the Alfred Nzo District Municipality not to open any initiation schools this winter season due to poor weather conditions.
The committee will be in Nyandeni tomorrow to visit further initiation schools.
The programme of the oversight visit is as follows:
|
DATE & TIME |
AGENDA |
VENUE |
|
Wednesday, 6 July 2022 |
Meeting with Local Houses/Traditional Councils in the area
|
Nyandeni Local Municipality |
|
Thursday, 7 July 2022
|
Meeting with Local Houses/Traditional Councils in the area
|
King Sabata Dalindyebo Local Municipality |
|
Friday, 8 July 2022 |
Meeting with the Buffalo City Metro
|
Buffalo City Metro Municipality |
ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMUNICATION SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON COOPERATIVE GOVERNANCE AND TRADITIONAL AFFAIRS, MR FIKILE XASA.
For media enquiries or interviews with the Chairperson, please contact the committee’s Media Officer:
Name: Faith Ndenze (Ms)
Parliamentary Communication Services
Tel: 021 403 8738
Cell: 081 377 0686
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