THE STAR, Johannesburg, Friday, 11 July 2008.
The Gauteng provincial government needs to crack
down on illegal initiation schools and consider
legislation to regulate circumcision as done in the
Eastern Cape, the DA said on Friday.
Spokesperson Jack Bloom called on the Gauteng health department to
speedily pass legislation to regulate these schools, so
that the boys' health was protected while a cultural
tradition was retained.
This comes after an initiation school was closed down
in Hammanskraal, north of Pretoria, after 100 underage
boys were removed from it on Thursday.
"I commend the police for closing down the initiation
school in as it failed to comply with municipal
by-laws.
"We need to curb these fraudulent schools as there is
much abuse. While it is not as big a problem in Gauteng
as elsewhere, there have been deaths and many initiates
have ended up in hospital," said Bloom.
North West police spokesperson Inspector Llife Ramatlo
said the parents of a 15-year-old boy at the
Hammanskraal school had complained to a ward councillor
in the area after their son's condition worsened after
being circumcised at the school.
On Wednesday, the parents and the ward councillor,
accompanied by Temba police went to the school. He said
the school was closed down after boys, aged between
eight and 15, were removed from it.
"The principal has a certificate to operate but the
boys were underage," said Ramatlo.
"Some of the initiates' parents did not know their
children were at the school," he said.
Meanwhile, in Limpopo, four initiates died from
diarrhoea this week, police said. - Sapa
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