Cultural practitioners equipped for start of summer initiation season - WC Cultural Affairs Dept

This year’s summer initiation season is set to begin on 1 November and will run until the end of January next year. 

In preparation, the Western Cape Cultural Affairs department said it had equipped cultural practitioners with resources to ensure a dignified rite of passage.

The provincial government said that 680 cultural practitioners, including traditional surgeons, traditional carers and administrators, had undergone capacity-building. 

They have been trained in areas such as fire and environmental management, health and hygiene and specialised training for traditional surgeons. 

The Initiation Minimum Standards now also require initiation forums to be registered under relevant legislation as responsible community organisations. 

This is to ensure the safety of initiates. 

The provincial cultural affairs department said a digital initiation management system would also be used to improve the efficiency of initiation applications and enhance the protection of the young men.

The department has also committed to providing local initiation schools with personal protective equipment (PPE), fire equipment, and JoJo water tanks.