RESPONSE TO CONTRALESA ON THE INITIATION SEASON

RESPONSE TO CONTRALESA ON THE INITIATION SEASON

By BRIAN KAJENGO

The Jazz and Indigenous Music Incubator (JIMI) welcomes the widely reported intervention by the Congress of Traditional Leaders of South Africa (CONTRALESA) and its partners the National Department of Health, CODEFSA and the South African Medical Association to curb circumcision initiates’ deaths.

We direct this statement and the suggestions contained here-in to CONTRALESA and the public at large. CONTRALESA viewed by many as the custodian of traditional practice in South Africa. The organization therefore correctly placed to effect meaningful change in this sphere. 

At JIMI, we value cultural practice. We have done more than most to promote and preserve tangible and intangible heritage in present day South Africa. We are mindful of the systematic suppression of Black cultural practices by the various colonial regimes that governed South Africa until 1994. This suppression combined with the failure of intergenerational teaching and engagement has resulted in the erosion of the understanding of the essence of cultural practice. 

We believe that in order for our cultural practices to remain relevant, we, the people should subject them to close scrutiny.

This is because we, the people, are the true custodians of our heritage and cultural practice. The time has arrived for us to take an active part in the shaping of our future and the creation of a new South African Culture that is inclusive, human-rights based and does not harm any person.

It is from this premise that we wish to respectfully add our youthful voice to finding solutions to this problem that directly affects hundreds of young men throughout South Africa. 

We wish to state that much more needs to be done in order to achieve ZERO deaths of initiates.

Here are our suggestions in brief:

1.     Free of Charge

     We propose that no person should pay to initiated and no person should charge initiates to perform the initiation. This will immediately root out the unscrupulous circumcision schools that now proliferate.

2.     Formation of Initiation Committees

We propose that in all jurisdictions, committees formed to chaired by the senior traditional leader of that particular area. These committees will comprise of community elected representatives from Youth, Women, Cultural and Religious Formations; Government Representatives from the District Offices of the Departments of Health and of Education. These committees will be the main coordinating bodies and will be responsible for the entire initiation ritual in their respective areas. This will include the provision of medical assistance, sustenance, shelter and the overall well-being of initiates.

3.     Medical Circumcision

The ritual of Initiation is broad and significant. The physical aspect of the removal of the foreskin is a minor aspect of this. Yet because of all the botched circumcisions and the resultant deaths and maiming of young men, this has become the focus of all those who are opposed to cultural practice and rightfully so. We propose that the Department of Health must engage at every jurisdiction to set-up mobile clinics where possible and to send medical professionals where mobile clinics cannot be set-up to sites. These health professionals must be male and must have an understanding of the ritual in order to be sensitive to the essence of the practice. After the circumcision performed and the initiates all medically cleared, the health professionals would then hand them over to trained traditional nurses who will then ensure a safe and speedy recovery. The mobile clinic and team would then move on to the next district to repeat the same process.

4.     Choice

           We propose an educational drive that will inform the public that participating in the ritual is by choice. Those who choose not to participate should not be prejudiced.

Our suggestions are neither radical nor unworkable. Our suggestions do not in any way seek to diminish and downplay the importance of traditional practices. Instead, we seek to actively participate in the evolution of our cultural practices, rather than being spectators.

We hope that we can open an avenue for dialogue between our organization, CONTRALESA and many other stakeholders whose wish is to ensure that no life is lost through this ritual of circumcision.

About the Jazz and Indigenous Music Incubator (JIMI)

JIMI is a registered Non-Profit Organisation established in KwaZulu-Natal in 2011. The organization established in response to the erosion of the knowledge of playing and manufacturing of indigenous musical instruments of South Africa and the lack of promotion and performance opportunities for emerging performance and fine artists. JIMI main aim is to preserve heritage in all its forms.

The organization recently hosted a number of successful and well-received events, including the Indigenous Musical Instruments in May 2013, the Women in Art Festival in August 2013 as well as the on-going Indigenous Musical Instruments Festival 2014 at Constitution Hill.

Njabulo Majola is a regular cultural contributor to the award-winning Power life with Masechaba Lekalalake on Power FM 89.7.

More information on JIMI’s programs found on: www.jimi.org.za