Wednesday 22 May 2013

Circumcision and death


Male circumcision is rather common in South Africa. According to the Sowetan only in some of the ethnic groups:
Ritual circumcision is common among South Africa's ethnic Xhosa, Sotho and Ndebele ethnic groups. 
But I know that it also occurs amongst the Tswana people. I have seen groups of young men in so called 'circumcision schools', out in the fields. In seTswana (I’m writing under correction) it is called 'sekolo sa bollo'. (It might be misspelled).

Yahoo! News reports that more than 20 boys have died. Other media says 23 or even more. let me paste what Yahoo says: 
JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - More than 20 South African boys have died over the past week during coming of age rituals, police said on Thursday, and they blamed botched circumcisions as the likely cause of death.
According to the Soweten it could have been avoided. Let me give a number of quotes:
"We have proven that there was some negligence," Kgoshi Mathibela Mokoena, head of the traditional leaders in the provincial parliament told AFP.
He said preliminary findings showed that some of the 30,000 males currently undergoing the circumcision rites, had developed complications but were not administered proper after-care after they were left in the hands of inexperienced young men.
After conducting the procedures, some of the circumcisers left and returned to the secluded bushy sites, hours later, some of them drunk.
Other people suffered from dehydration as it was established some of the 200 odd sites dotted across the province lacked clean drinking water. 
President Zuma has reacted quite strongly. He is quoted in News24.comhttp://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/Circumcision-deaths-outrage-Zuma-20130521, having said:
The whole country is outraged at this massive and unnecessary loss of young life at the hands of those who are supposed to nurture and protect them ... 
One remarkable thing is, that so far, I cannot see that the Mail and Guardian has written anyhting. Strange!

It is of course unacceptable that this can happen. I watched TV the other night and listened to the Provincial Minister of Health, who claimed she could not interfere because she is a woman.

Traditional culture is blamed for gender injustices. With these deaths it is obvious that even male persons are being the victims.

Still I would not like to jump to conclusions. I hope the police will investigate. It is easy to blame culture but isn’t culture always carried by human beings. So the question remains:

Is this a result of cultural practices (structural) or a result of some persons negligence (individual)? Or maybe a combination!

No comments: