Hon Speaker and hon members of this House, it is with heavy hearts that we gather here today to focus on the loss of innocent and courageous, valuable lives of 29 young men aged 13 to 21 in eastern Mpumalanga province, Limpopo and other parts of the country during this year's circumcision rituals.
Another six died in the northern Limpopo province. As the ANC, we share President Jacob Zuma's and the country's shock and outrage at the unnecessary loss of lives and believe that not only was this avoidable, but that those responsible for this tragedy must face the full might of the law as speedily as possible. One can only imagine how the bereaved families must feel at having their loved ones cut down in the prime of their lives, robbing them of their future, which lay before them.
In 2010, the Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities released one of its research reports, entitled, "Public Hearings on Male Initiation Schools in South Africa", and reported that between 2009 and 2010, 145 boys died because of complications related to their circumcision, and another 1 200 were hospitalised. These are alarming statistics, and despite the practice having survived many generations, we may have to re-examine the ways in which it is carried out in the modern age.
To understand why male circumcision is important, for instance, among the Xhosa people and other cultural groupings, one needs to truly appreciate the reasons why the practice of circumcision has been carried through from generation to generation, and its impact on young men as they enter adulthood. As our foremost icon, Nelson Mandela, stated, and I quote:
On Robben Island, not all debates were political. One issue that provoked much discussion was circumcision. Some among us maintained that circumcision, as practised by the Xhosas and other tribes, was not only an unnecessary mutilation of the body but a reversion to the type of tribalism that the ANC was seeking to overthrow. It was not an unreasonable argument, but the prevailing view, with which I agreed, was that circumcision was a cultural ritual that had not only a salutary health benefit, but an important psychological effect. It was a rite that strengthened group identification and inculcated positive values.
Despite being mindful of all the associated risks, the African youths choose to undergo traditional circumcision as it is regarded as a sacred rite of passage and also speaks to one's family honour and standing in our society. Given our country's fractured past, the intolerance and subordinate status given to African culture and its practices in apartheid South Africa, we must be mindful to educate and sensitise those who wish to demean the practice completely.
Whilst the deaths of initiates during these rituals and the scarring and substandard medical procedures they are exposed to cannot be condoned and must be vehemently denounced, we must also pay heed to the cultural and spiritual significance of the act. Whichever way we proceed to engage on this issue, let us ensure that we do so within the spirit and letter of our progressive Constitution, which calls for respect and tolerance of the diverse cultures and the right of individuals, communities or groups to practise and enjoy these rights, while observing and respecting the rights of others. More significantly, we must acknowledge that there is still significant support for the practice of the ritual within African communities.
Our icon, Nelson Mandela, expressed the significance of circumcision as follows, and I quote:
In my tradition, an uncircumcised male cannot be heir to his father's wealth, cannot marry or officiate in tribal rituals. An uncircumcised Xhosa man is a contradiction in terms, for he is not considered a man at all, but a boy. For the Xhosa people, circumcision represents the formal incorporation of males into society. It is not just a surgical procedure, but a lengthy and elaborate ritual in preparation for manhood. As a Xhosa, I count my years as a man from the date of my circumcision. It was a sacred time. I felt happy and fulfilled taking part in my people's customs, and ready to make the transition from boyhood to manhood.
[Applause.]
It is easy to see why Madiba felt this way and why many others who practice this tradition believe in it so completely. This rite of passage is not just an individual occurrence or experience, but it is that of the entire community, for it guarantees its continuation and legacy of the values, ideals, norms and mores. Madiba correctly observed that African initiation schools have both spiritual and cultural significance. The spiritual underpinnings of African initiation schools were never appreciated because under colonialism and apartheid African religion was regarded as a superstition and was suppressed. Institutions and rituals were despised and forced underground.
The transformation of African initiation schools cannot be separated from the broad social transformation that includes the revival, mainstreaming and harnessing of African religion for moral, cultural, social and economic development. Therefore, it is necessary to share what this belief system is all about with those who think that there is nothing called African religion.
Madiba said that African religion is no longer a superstition that must be replaced by other religions. When I grew up in Bolobedu, the land of Queen Modjadji, I was taught that the universe and humanity were created by the Prince of Light called Khuzwane or Kosana, and that Muhali Muhulu, the wife of Khuzwane, introduced female initiation called "biale", derived from "muali".
Thobela, the son of Khuzwane, and Muhali Muhulu introduced male initiation called "bodika", meaning solidarity, and "bogwera", meaning brotherhood. These gods were spiritual beings who lived on earth in physical form after the creation of the universe and humanity. Khuzwane left footprints on certain rocks when they were still soft. These footprints are still there today and are symbols of divinity.
Before they ascended to heaven, these gods introduced initiation schools and laid down the rules governing them. Therefore, from time immemorial, initiation schools were governed by spiritual and cultural values.
With regard to the types of initiation, the Balobedu and Bapedi people, for instance, generally had initiation ceremonies that comprised of two stages, a circumcision school, "bodika", and brotherhood, "bogwera", school which completed the status change and marketed the formation of a brotherhood or regiment. This brotherhood has both spiritual and military aspects.
In its spiritual aspects, initiation into this brotherhood, like girls' initiation, is governed by the bird of Mohale, which symbolises the queen of heaven, Mwari we Denga in the Shona and Lozi languages. The boys were circumcised in order of precedence and then secluded in the lodge for about three months.
Here, the brothers, "bagwera", were taught a number of secret formulas and songs and instructed in the physiology of sexual relations, the dangers of intercourse with a woman in a state of pollution and in the absolute necessity for obedience to the political authorities. These were accompanied by, inter alia, ordeals and food taboos or abstinences to drive the lessons home. These painful forms of discipline ended with a military raid, or a lion hunt.
The brotherhood, "bodika", was generally arranged by the king or queen and councillors, who appointed a master of ceremonies and his deputy to oversee the school and also as specialist circumciser, "thipane", to perform the actual operation. A day was announced and boys from all over the kingdom, accompanied by their mothers and with shaven heads and new loincloths, flocked to the royal court.
There was a special mystery, the fire mystery, in which boys and girls would combine in a ritual symbolising the importance of political authority, which involved lighting a fire by drilling fire, "hu tsika mooto", on a floating raft of reeds or rubbing two sticks together. My name, Mutsika, comes from this exercise. This ritual also symbolised the divinity or holiness of sexual union between man and woman. Last but not least, the boys and girls were presented to the queen of heaven, Mwari we Denga, and then washed and anointed with red ochre to confirm the sacred or spiritual nature of the initiation.
Therefore, it is clear that the initiation, despite the ... [Interjections.]