The Western Cape Government (WCG) has announced that it fully supports the official start of the 2022 initiation ceremony summer season.
The summer 2022 initiation season will commence on November 1 and is expected to end on January 31.
Amid the rising death tolls during initiation seasons over the past years, the Department of Cultural Affairs and Sports’ (DCAS) Anroux Marais said that they were committed to ensuring safe initiation practices in the province.
He said that they had worked closely with local initiation forums, municipalities, and parents of initiates to ensure that all the necessary steps have been followed to ensure the well-being of initiates across the province.
“Initiation forums encouraged communities to act responsibly in ensuring a safer rite of passage. DCAS has provided consent forms to be completed and signed by prospective initiates, parents or guardians, responsible traditional carers, and surgeons.
“Communities taking their young men for initiation were encouraged to make use of the form as it stipulates common grounds of responsibilities between all the parties directly affected,” Marais said.
DCAS and Marais said they would further provide initiation forums with personal protective equipment (PPEs), water tanks, fire extinguishers, fire beaters as well as metal fire buckets to mitigate any fire risks.
“Our department takes the safety of our initiates very seriously and we work proactively throughout the year to ensure that this important rite of passage can be observed safely,” Marais said.
He also added that information sessions were held with various stakeholders to ensure that all requirements in terms of medical screenings for initiates would be met during this season.
-IOL
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