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A body of a deceased person in a mortuary.
The death toll of initiates during the summer initiation season in the Eastern Cape has risen to 23. This figure is compounded by the deaths of seven traditional nurses, who reportedly died as a result of violent incidents, lightning strikes and suicide.
Most initiates are believed to have died from dehydration, while others lost their lives due to the alleged negligence of traditional nurses.
Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Provincial Spokesperson, Pheelo Oliphant, says they will clamp down on all illegal initiation practices in initiation schools.
“As government, we convey our condolences (to those) who lost their sons during this season. We celebrate the graduates and as government, we reiterate that culture does not kill; but rather it is the contravention of the initiation safety protocols by the people who break the law. 51 arrests were made and culprits will be prosecuted and as government, we are saying that we are going to clamp down on all illegalities,” says Oliphant.
Meanwhile, the provincial government is calling on communities that practise traditional circumcision to protect the cultural rite of passage from those who exploit it for personal gain.
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