Customary Male Initiation

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Customary Male Initiation

• A rite or a risk?

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Should government regulate your culture?
Project Focus Question
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Questions

• What is customary male initiation?
• Who practices it?
• Does it make one man enough?
• Why is customary male initiation a health issue?
• Has the practice remained loyal to the
  traditional motivations our forebears?
• What human rights issues does it raise?
• How can the practice be regulated?

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What is customary male initiation?

• A rite of transition to from boyhood to manhood
  with the aim of integrating the male child into
  the society according to cultural norms

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• It involves
• seclusion (entering the bush and building
  temporary lodge)
• burning of temporary lodge and belongings at the
  close of the seclusion
• physical symbols inscribed on the body-
• e.g. painting of the skin with white clay, and
  permanent bodily alterations like circumcision
• celebrations of the change in status where ritual
  sacrifices are performed

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• Performed by
• traditional surgeons (ingcibi)
• traditional attendants (ikhankatha), who only
  give assistance

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Who practices it?

• Different cultures locally and abroad
• The Jewish, African and Islamic culture
  practice it
• In South Africa the cultural groups that are
  still practicing the rite are the Tswanas,
  Sothos, Shangaan-Tsongas and Xhosas
• Historically the Zulus practiced it, but has been
  largely abandoned

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Does it make one a man?

• As a symbol of transition to manhood initiated
  men have certain privileges associated with their
  status
• They assume certain social responsibilities like
  officiating in ritual ceremonies
• Before initiation a male cannot marry or start a
  family and inherit possessions
• Their vocabulary and social behaviour distinguish
  them from boys

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• Endurance to harsh conditions such as walking
  long distances and not drinking fluids post
  circumcision and being severely beaten makes
  the initiates man enough
• Death and injury is seen as a way of separating
  boys who were not fit to play the role of men in
  a society

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Why is customary male initiation a human health
issue?

• The reuse of unsterilised surgical instruments
  like blunt assegais to all the initiates is
  implicated in the spread of blood-borne diseases
  like Tetanus, Hepatitis and HIV/AIDS
• Severe dehydration is another health risk factor.
  Initiates are discouraged from drinking fluid
  post circumcision to prevent frequent urination

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• death due to Crush syndrome
• that comes as a result of initiates being
  severely beaten for failing to adhere to schools
  protocol, or as a test of endurance
• unhealthy surroundings, like, cold and dusty
  holding rooms
• starvation of the blood supply (Ischaemia) and
  infection lead to sepsis of the reproductive
  organ

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How does it affect human rights issues?
Life Death is a natural selection technique-males who are not man enough will die
Human dignity Loss or permanent damage of male reproductive organs as a result of Inadequate training of traditional surgeons who sometimes operate under the influence of alcohol
Equality Customary male initiation is an exclusively male ritual-female health workers are not allowed anywhere near the seclusion camps, or even to draw Acts that legislate the rite
Freedom and security Detention without parents consent
Health care, food, water and social security If taken from seclusion to hospital, they'll be stigmatized as not being man enough-If you start it you must finish. Exposure to harsh conditions is a sing of endurance.
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How can the practice be regulated?

• As the guarantor for basic human rights,
  government has introduced the following Acts
• Application of Health Standards in Traditional
  Circumcision Act (2001)-Eastern Cape
• Northern Province Circumcision Schools Act (1996)
• Free State Initiation School Health Act (2004)
• The National Health Bill
• Traditional Health Practitioners Bill

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The following regulations are stipulated in the
Acts

• Observation of health standards in initiation
  schools
• Granting permission by a medical practitioner for
  
• the operation of circumcision
• Males under 18 must be accepted upon
• parents consent
• Compulsory medical screening of would be
  initiates
• Medical officers including women must be involved
  

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Has the practice remained loyal to the
traditional motivations our forebears

• Which are to
• teach culture
• advance family values

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• Most initiation schools are taken over by
  opportunistic criminals hence are characterized
  by
• Alcohol abuse, dagga smoking, lack of regulations
  which are the major causes of deaths
• Moneymaking practice of charging a price money
  and two goats
• Detaining males without parents concern to be
  initiated in foreign regions
• Currently initiation schools occur is summer as
  opposed to winter in the past
• The use of plastic building material as opposed
  to traditional grass and leaves, contribute to a
  harsh environment that is not conducive to
  healing
• These activities are inconsistent with the
  original motivation and practices.

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What analysis can you make from this background
information?

• Gross violation of human rights associated with
  the rite culminate in
• deadly infections, callous atrocities
• abduction of under-aged children without parental
  consent.
• loss and mutilation of reproductive organs due
  to the negligence of traditional surgeons
• The constitution of our country
• protects the culture and customs of our
  communities
• allows government to regulate the health aspects
  of cultural initiation

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Is customary male initiation a good practice?
It cannot be a good practice if it violates the
human rights
It is a good practice if it upholds the original
motivation of traditional forebears which is to
teach culture and to uphold family values
It needs to be regulated
To learn more about the Bill of Rights click on
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