It came as a surprise during the past week that illegal initiation schools were circumcising boys as young as six in preparation for manhood. It has also come to light that whatever methods used in the circumcision procedures, they do not meet the hygiene standards as stipulated over the years.

Clinical procedures are required to carry out the rituals but it has been proved over the years that the traditional nurses and all personnel involved, do not comply with the required health standards.

The question is, don’t the authorities that be, check those who are to undergo circumcision? It seems there is no active participation by the departments of health, co-operative governance and traditional affairs, or the house of traditional leaders, all of which are custodians of this culture.

Who is supposed to be held responsible for the deaths attributed to botched circumcision?
Are there regulations under which these traditional nurses operate?

If there are, how are they carried out and by whom or do authorities wait for such embarrassing occurrences, before voicing their opinions?

Methinks many are not doing their jobs. It was earlier warned by the chairperson of the house of traditional leaders, Kgoshi Lameck Mokoena, to all traditional practitioners, that this culture shouldn’t be regarded as a cash cow, but should be performed in the correct way.

But even as he said, “they shouldn’t be used as ATMs” his words were falling on deaf ears. In that regard, one has also discovered that the commitment made by the department of health to ensure that the highest hygienic standards would be applied, remains only on paper.

It’s about time a concerted effort was made to restore the dignity of this culture. Manhood in the African culture is not exercised at the age of six but anything from 16.

The perpetrators of any illegal practice should be prosecuted and banned. In this way, we might save innocent lives.