Alcohol abuse, dagga smoking, lack of regulations, guidelines and proper procedures to be followed were cited as the major causes of death in Koma/Ulwaluko/Lebollo (Initiation Schools) in the Eastern Cape. This came out during the first day of the public hearings on Koma/Ulwaluko/Lebollo (Initiation Schools) currently taking place at Qawukeni Great Place in Lusikisiki from 02-04 October 2006.

Prince Zukisile Makaula, a senior royal member of AmaBacha was the first to criticise opportunists who have introduced a moneymaking practice by charging a price – money and two goats.  “Strangely only one goat would be needed”, he said.  However, it turned out that the opportunists take the second goat to their own flocks. “Recently, a number of initiates burned to death because they had been given beer and they were drunk”, added Makaula. 

Nkosi Mwelo Nonkonya, the leader of amaBhala and provincial leader of the Congress of Traditional Leaders (CONTRALESA) also expressed his concern that amaMpondo are concerned that death is rife in this region. He said that it should be noted that amaMpondo discontinued circumcision but continued to practise initiation of boys into manhood. Circumcision was later reintroduced in the practice of initiation, which led to some of the current problems.  

Parents and elders were also alarmed that some of the boys are taken by opportunists from other regions to be initiated in those regions.  The challenge is that they are initiated into foreign cultures that are not known to their parents, communities and traditional leadership.

Among other concerns raised is that there are people who go around in trucks collecting boys for initiation, without getting permission from parents, and without reporting even to the local traditional leader and that these schools are now producing drunkards, rapists, house breakers and drug abusers .

The problems are so serious than we thought, said Dr Mongezi Guma, Chairperson of the Commission for the Promotion & Protection of the Rights of Cultural; Religious & Linguistic Communities (CRL Commission) and panellist.

“We hope that at the end of the day we will be able to come up with solutions that will assist in protecting and preserving the custom,” said Guma.

The hearings are a joint initiative by the Commission for the Promotion & Protection of the Rights of Cultural; Religious & Linguistic Communities (CRL Commission); the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) and the National House of Traditional Leaders (NHTL) to find solutions to the ongoing problems which have killed a number of initiates.

These hearings are a result of a roundtable discussion meeting on the spate of deaths in initiation schools, which was held on 24 July 2006 by representatives of CRL Commission; SAHRC and NHTL. Terms of reference are available in the following websites: www.sahrc.org.za or www.crlcommission.org.za

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