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MUNICIPALITY PLAYING

A MAJOR ROLE IN

SAFEGUARDING TRADITIONAL MALE

CIRCUMCISION

By: Lauren Human

The Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality is playing a major role in preserving the culture of the traditional male circumcision initiation ceremony by monitoring the initiation sites and providing support and educational workshops for traditional surgeons and nurses.

The provincial Department of Health has since 2002 given the responsibility of monitoring the initiation sites to the NMBM as an unfunded mandate, because of a shortage of staff.

Over the past eight years, the recorded deaths at traditional male circumcision sites in the Nelson Mandela Bay region currently stands at six. These deaths were not directly related to bad practices during the traditional ceremony.

NMBM Senior Environmental Health Practitioner, Mike Adams, who heads the team of 10 municipal offcials responsible for the monitoring of traditional male circumcision sites, said their support included the provision of drinkable water, intervention and treatment in the event of an injury on site, woundmanagement and educational workshops for traditional surgeons and nurses.

“Our goal is always to preserve the culture and to safeguard it. Our service extends to all the diversifed cultures who go to the bush. Circumcision is a sacred ceremony, and we treat it as such,” says Mike.

A major success for the NMBM has been the relocation of

circumcision sites from unsuitable areas to more suitable areas that have been prepared by the Municipality for specifc use as circumcision sites.

“Sites are suitable if they are located away from the community, are in a bushy area and reachable, to send in supplies of food and other necessities,” said Adams.

A traditional surgeon from Motherwell, Mongezi Hoyi, said although they were grateful for the support from the Municipality, there were still challenges regarding the delivery of water and supplies to the initiation sites.

“The Municipality has assisted us a great deal. Although we do still face challenges, we will work with the relevant offcials to sort them out. We wish to also include the area police in the support programme to assist with patrols during the initiation season,” said Hoyi.

Portfolio Chairperson for Public Health, Cllr Pat Ndlovu, said it was indeed diffcult to deliver a service without the necessary funding, but that the Municipality was managing to deliver a good support system to the initiation schools.

“In my Public Health Standing Committee meetings, I have stressed that our municipal offcials need to prepare in advance of the initiation seasons to ensure that the initiation schools are well prepared. It is extremely important that we preserve this sacred cultural and traditional practice and that we assist as best we can,” said Cllr Ndlovu.