The Acting Secretary of the Eastern Cape House of Traditional and Khoi-San Leaders, Vuyo Stofile, has called on all involved in the summer initiation season, including initiation schools, parents, health workers, NGO partners and others to work together to ensure that the 2022 summer initiation season takes place safely without putting the health and lives of young men at risk.
The Eastern Cape summer initiation season commences on 4 November 2022, and approximately 40 000 young men are expected to undergo customary male initiation (CMI) this year. The early opening of the summer season is meant to cater to boys who are not in school as per the provisions of section 27(4) of the Customary Initiation Act. The school-going boys are expected to first finish their school exams before they can undergo the rite of passage to manhood.
Stofile says, “This is a sacred and serious time for young men and they deserve to go through initiation safely and without fear. We want them to emerge from this important process as healthy men who are ready to become responsible, successful adults. We live by our philosophy of “Mabaye bephila, babuye bephilile, siyazingca ngesiko lethu” – our culture is sacred, let our young men go to initiation schools and return as healthy and responsible men.
Guest: The Acting Secretary of the Eastern Cape House of Traditional and Khoi-San Leaders, Vuyo Stofile,