THE Phila Ndoda Movement believes that the government can change its approach to initiation and adopt another season instead of two.
The movement believes that the current two initiation seasons, winter (June and July) and summer (November, December and January), are creating an unnecessary influx while there is a shortage of traditional nurses to look after big numbers.
The summer initiation season which started in November saw 34 deaths, despite the province planning for a death-free season.
This number sparked an outcry within communities, and some described this season as a disastrous one.
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The movement founder, Bishop Zolile Dayimani, said: "We appeal to our government to create another initiation season. This is to curb the influx of initiates as there aren't enough traditional nurses to handle large numbers. We have a problem right now and we need to come up with a plan and change the approach of using two seasons.”
Dayimani said 34 is not just a number, but people who had dreams, ambitions and futures.
The Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) MEC, Zolile Williams, said: “We have a challenge of young boys who come to initiation schools with fraudulent medical certificates. Once they come with fraudulent medical certificates, they don’t lie to cultural practice, they lie to themselves, and as a result, they die in the process.
Williams said parents and initiates avoid taking chronic medications to initiation schools for fear of stigma.
"However, we also face the challenge of traditional nurses who are too young to care for initiates. As young as 22 years old, some lack the experience to recognise when an initiate is experiencing a problem and what needs to be done to resolve it,” he said.
