South Africa: Boy dies at circumcision school

News 24 (South Africa) ^ | November 28, 2005

[Stoat]

Boy dies at circumcision school
28/11/2005 08:39  - (SA)  

 

Mthatha - One boy has died and eight others were admitted to Mthatha general hospital after they fell ill at a circumcision school in the area, the Eastern Cape health department said on Monday.

"When we got there on Sunday night one of the boys had already died. Two are in a critical condition and the others are stable," spokesperson Sizwe Kupelo said. They are aged between 18 and 20.

Health department officials went to investigate the school at Link village outside Mthatha after being informed by community members of possible problems.

"It's a legal school. The man in charge is registered, but failed to report on time that the boys were sick. There is a possibility that he will be charged with negligence," Kupelo said. Police have opened an inquest docket.

It was the first death since the start of the circumcision season two weeks ago.

In a separate incident, police and health officials would on Monday continue their search for a group of 19 boys believed to be part of an illegal initiation school hiding in the bush near Flagstaff.

"Police and community members spent the whole day on Saturday searching for the boys. They started the search at 10:00 using a helicopter. It was called off at 15:45 due to bad weather. One of the boys is reported to be in ill health."

Kupelo said that since Friday last week six people had been arrested in different parts of the province for "unlawful circumcisions".

The department appealed to community members to take responsibility for the schools in their area and to report problems.

"We want it to be a communal thing. During the June/July season 23 boys died in the bush." About half those deaths were in the Libode area, east of Mthatha.

Of the 23 who had died, 15 succumbed to illnesses such as meningitis and pneumonia. At least five boys had their genitals amputated following botched circumcisions.

Kupelo said boys going to circumcision schools needed to be sent for medical check-ups to make sure they were in good health before undergoing the ritual.

"They are exposed to bad weather conditions and to dehydration. According to the traditional way the boys are denied water for the first eight days. If they aren't healthy enough there is definitely a risk."

Those in the province requiring assistance or wanting to report illegal schools could call the circumcision health line on 08000-323-64.

[willyd]

would anyone care to tell me what the heck a circumcision school is? do they give the old speech there that goes like this...look to the left of you...look to the right of you...look at the end of your penis...two of those won't be there by the end of the semester.

[CzarNicky]

A circumcision school is where the younger tribe members go to learn the customs of the tribe. For instance if initiation for the tribe required burping the alphabet backwards that is where they would teach them. Once successfully initiated they cut the end of their penis off.

[Stoat]

would anyone care to tell me what the heck a circumcision school is? do they give the old speech there that goes like this...look to the left of you...look to the right of you...look at the end of your penis...two of those won't be there by the end of the semester.

ROTFLMAO!!

That's certainly a better explanation than anything that was included in the article  :-)

This article from the BBC may help a little.....they are schools for teaching tribal and clan initiation practices

BBC NEWS Africa South Africa circumcision deaths

South Africa circumcision deaths
 

Five traditional surgeons have been arrested by South African police after the deaths of some 20 youths from botched circumcisions in the past few weeks.

Another 100 have been injured - some having been severely beaten during the initiation rituals.

The young men in the eastern Cape belong to the Xhosa ethnic group for whom circumcision is considered part of the passage into manhood.

The authorities say the problem stems from the growth of illegal initiation schools.

The BBC's Carolyn Dempster in South Africa says demands are growing for tighter regulations to control initiation practices.

Worries

A law was recently introduced requiring initiation schools to be licensed and only allowing circumcisions to be performed on youths aged 18 and older.

But Eastern Cape provincial Health Department spokesman Sizwe Kupelo told Reuters news agency that boys as young as 11 had died.

Each year thousands of young men go into the bush alone, without water, to attend initiation schools.

Many do not survive the ordeal.

In some cases circumcisions are performed with blunt, unsterilised knives, and there are severe punishment beatings for forgetting parts of rituals.

The operations are performed in the winter when South African schools are on holiday.

[willyd]

It's really about the comradory and the business relationships that you form afterwards.

[Stoat]

It's really about the comradory and the business relationships that you form afterwards.

Oh LAWD!!!!!

1.  I don't want to know what the diploma looks like

2.  The Senior Prom will likely be a rather morbid affair...  "oh, you survived the circumcision!  That's great!  But, I guess that means you're going to be out of commission for awhile, doesn't it?"

3.  I don't want the school janitor's job.

[willyd]

I went to Cirumcize U!

[willyd]

At graduation dinner they all fight over who gets to leave the tip...lol

[Stoat]

I went to Cirumcize U!

<<<<  tears of laughter streaming down my furry stoat face

What do you suppose the school mascot would be?

And the name of the football team?

 

[Solamente]

African Faux Calamari?

[Stoat]

At graduation dinner they all fight over who gets to leave the tip...lol

good gracious....I'm laughing so hard I can hardly type anymore   :-)

The waittress' 'tip jar' would be quite a sight.......   LOL

[willyd]

Do they throw them in the air at graduation?

[sure_fine]

Dollars to donuts this happened at an islamic chop shop (which is reason # 1,001 no person in his right mind would ever convert to islam: 8 or 80, you'll have to be circumcised).




WOW, I been ready since I came out of the hospital when I was born........lol

[martin_fierro]

Boy dies at circumcision school

The moral of our story:

DON'T CUT CLASS.

[cardinal4]

Circumcision school?

[mikrofon]

Hey, life's a bris...

[zimdog]

hah.

[TDunn]

Death is one of the complications of circumcision, even in the United States. Why would anyone who is not Jewish risk their son's death once they learn that neonatal circumcision is not medically necessary?

The United States is the only country in the world that still circumcises most baby boys for non-religious reasons. However as parents learn more about circumcision, the infant circumcision is dropping. In 2003 only 56% of baby boys were circumcised. In the western states only 31% of baby boys were circumcised.

[skinkinthegrass]

What do you suppose the school mascot would be?

what else?....Go NADS!

[gorush]

Circumcision is no laughing matter...I was circumcised as an infant...and couldn't walk for a year!

[MikefromOhio]

in South Africa?

I don't think so.

This sounds like an African Tribal deal, not an Islamic thing....