31 July 2013
The South African Communist Party (SACP) in the Eastern Cape has noted with great shock the rising numbers in death of initiates in the province. The 2013 season alone has registered a shocking 39 deaths.
We believe that there is no culture or custom that warrant death, and death of even one initiate is one too many. The situation in Eastern Cape has reached alarming proportions which requires that we all get our hands dirty in trying to find solutions to this crisis. It cannot be that whenever the children of the Eastern Cape go to Initiation schools with the desire to attain manhood they won`t make it back to their families.
We should all as people`s organs work together in getting rid of the bogus surgeons, bogus initiation schools and to de-commercialize this custom. The legislation and regulation of this custom must be tighten and enforced to the latter. This situation requires all of us in the province to unite, work hard to save the lives of our children.
However, as the SACP we have noted with disgust the insensitive reporting by the Daily Dispatch on this societal challenge. The branding of the faces of the young boys who passed away in initiation schools in the front page of the Daily Dispatch (31 July 2013), parading even minors faces in the front page is not only insensitive but leaves a bad taste of being unethical.
The Daily Dispatch in pursuit of sensationalism, drama and profits has ignored the trauma this will cause to their families, relatives, friends, colleagues and society at large. This exhibiting of the minors faces (as young as 15 years old) serve no material purpose in telling the sad story that society ought to deal with.
We strongly condemn this unethical sensationalism by the Daily Dispatch as it has the responsibility to fairly report what is confronting society and inform people of challenges of the day.
We once more recommit ourselves as South African Communists to work with all progressive formations in the province in finding a solution on this challenge of deaths in initiation schools.
In this regard a closer collaboration between the Office of the Premier, The House of Traditional Leaders, the Portfolio Committee on Local Government and Traditional Affairs, The Department of Health and other stakeholders is required so as to develop a strategy to institutionalize a response to this crisis.
Issued by SACP Eastern Cape.
Contact:
Siyabonga Mdodi
SACP EC Provincial Spokesperson
083 3588 070