21 die at initiation schools

[Rudolph]

21 die at initiation schools (http://www.news24.com/Content/SouthAfrica/News/1059/0f61b8b45b0049228a396dd0d661cd2e/17-12-2009-12-03/21_die_at_initiation_schools)
2009-12-17

Cape Town - The death toll in the Eastern Cape's summer circumcision season now stands at 21, the provincial health department said on Thursday.

Spokesperson Sizwe Kupelo said it had emerged that four more boys died at illegal initiation schools last weekend.

The schools were in the Mthatha area, at Gompo in East London, and at Ndakana outside King William's Town.

He said of the total number of deaths so far, five victims were from the Libode-Ngqeleni area, four from Mthatha, three from Cathcart, three at Lusikisiki, two from Butterworth, and one each from Sterkspruit, Gompo, Whittlesea and Ndakana.

Autopsies would be conducted for all the deaths that happened outside hospitals, Kupelo said.

On Wednesday health department officials had rescued 18 youths from illegal schools in the Maclear area.

The youths, suffering from complaints including dehydration, septicaemia and gangrene, were taken to hospitals in Maclear and Mthatha.

Kupelo said a total of 33 initiates were currently being treated at Mthatha's Nelson Mandela Academic Hospital.


- SAPA

[gazell]

Dear Lord! RIP.

Is there public education on this? What are the consequences?

[Rudolph]

^
Uh, not that easy... at my friend's workplace alot of the blacks still believe wrapping some piece of a animal around their necks cures aids, etc. It'll take another 350 years me thinks...

[gazell]

^
Uh, not that easy... at my friend's workplace alot of the blacks still believe wrapping some piece of a animal around their necks cures aids, etc. It'll take another 350 years me thinks...

No, I was thinking on governmental levels. Is there some effort?

For example, in this case will there be anybody reprimanded or just accidents?

[Rudolph]

No, I was thinking on governmental levels. Is there some effort?

For example, in this case will there be anybody reprimanded or just accidents?

I assure you people in government went through this as a child as well, you can't very well go and offend someone's culture!

But yes, some in government do try, but what can you do... it's been going on for 100's of years, why stop now?

-Except for some fakers, most schools are run by elders, meaning no one will dare do anything to them.

[gazell]

I assure you people in government went through this as a child as well, you can't very well go and offend someone's culture!

But yes, some in government do try, but what can you do... it's been going on for 100's of years, why stop now?

-Except for some fakers, most schools are run by elders, meaning no one will dare do anything to them.

You are right, tribal culture is actually quite in vogue in some places.

[Panchito12]

^^^The longer they stay in tribal mentality, the farther they will fall behind, the farther forward the rest of us will go......the more taxes we're going to have to pay to drag them, kicking-n-screaming, back into modernity. Look at it as a sort of 21st century "white man's burden".