Nelson Mandela Bay all set for safe initiation season, says Bhanga

With the winter traditional male circumcision season officially opened, boys in Nelson Mandela Bay will, just like their peers in other parts of the Eastern Cape, undergo the Xhosa rite of passage to manhood.

Initiation was banned in 2020 because of the high number of Covid-19 cases in the Bay.

While new cases are on the rise again in the Bay, mayor Nqaba Bhanga said it was all systems go for the winter season.

As of Monday night, there were 895 active cases in the metro, with four people reported to have succumbed to Covid-19 complications in 48 hours.

Bhanga said it was all hands on deck, with the Bay and provincial government working to ensure the metro had a safe initiation season.

Traditional surgeons and traditional nurses were trained by the department of health on how to treat initiates while maintaining Covid-19 protocols.

Bhanga said on Tuesday they wanted to ensure that the boys who underwent the rite of passage would come back alive and graduate as men.

“It is an exciting time for the people of Nelson Mandela Bay who could not join in the rest of the country when the initiation programmes resumed in other places last year.

“But we have stressed it enough to our stakeholders who form part of the city’s initiation forum that our excitement must not sway our focus from Covid-19 too,” he said.

The initiation season was declared open on Friday by co-operative governance MEC Xolile Nqatha.

Bhanga said they were confident traditional surgeons and traditional nurses were properly trained on how to adhere to coronavirus regulations while treating initiates.

This included initiation schools not being allowed to keep hand sanitisers inside huts as they were flammable.

“Working with other stakeholders, we focused on health protocols, screenings and tests that need to take place before the boys go for initiation.

“We will be strictly monitoring the initiation schools to ensure that any health-related incidents are dealt with immediately.

“We have asked parents to rather provide soap instead [of hand sanitisers] so that everyone who is there can wash their hands to fight Covid-19.

“We will ensure that we provide water,” he said.

Unlike in previous years where initiation huts were always abuzz with activity, Bhanga said that would not be the case this time.

“We have also asked the parents to not allow any unnecessary visitors at [initiation] schools.

“It is only the parents or guardians who must visit their children, that way they are sure of their Covid-19 status and can ensure the safety of their children as these boys are vulnerable by virtue of being at the schools.

“We all want to see our children back home safe.

“As the elders, we must lead by example and ensure that we play our part as we continue to fight Covid-19,” he said.

Bhanga was widely condemned at the weekend after a video of him singing at an ANC event without wearing a mask went viral.

He apologised for violating Covid-19 regulations.

The barring of visitors at initiation schools comes after the metro said visitors at old age homes had contributed to an increase in cases in the facilities, saying young people were infecting their elderly relatives with the  virus.

HeraldLIVE