EC initiation deaths: ‘God created death, it will happen’ – Traditional leader
34 young men have died in the Eastern Cape summer initiation season.
Initiation schools have been urged to ensure the boys who come to them are safe at all times. Picture: Asanda Austin Jezile/Eyewitness News
Lester Kiewit speaks with Nkosi Gwadiso, Chairman of the Eastern Cape House of Traditional Leaders
Listen to the interview in the audio below.
The summer initiation season has just come to an end and 34 initiates have lost their lives.
This is 11 more than the previous season.
The deaths have been attributed to dehydration, chronic health issues and negligence that could have been avoided.
Gwadiso says that death is something that does happen in the circumcision ritual, and there are natural causes at play.
“Death was created by god and death, whatever we try, may happen in various situations.”
- Nkosi Gwadiso, Chairman of the Eastern Cape House of Traditional Leaders
He adds that some of the death will have been completely unavoidable, and some deaths were unrelated to the actual process.
“It is not true that all of these deaths could have been avoided.”
- Nkosi Gwadiso, Chairman of the Eastern Cape House of Traditional Leaders