By Phozisa Mkele
Every year there are fatalities of young boys in illegal initiation schools. This traditional practice is treated by some as a money-making scheme. With deaths and botched circumcisions on the rise, parents are opting for other alternatives. One such option that has become common in urban areas is having the circumcision undertaken by a qualified medical doctor. The operation is done in a clinic or hospital. Once the surgery is complete the patient returns home to recuperate under the supervision of a male family member. The initiate is “isolated” from the rest of the family and society for a few weeks and placed in a cottage or back room. This modern version of initiation is an attempt to curb infections, botched circumcisions and mortalities.
Another reason why urban circumcision is on the increase is because many young men that have grown up in the city are not familiar with rural life. The concern from both the initiates and their parents is that the young men may not be able to survive the extreme conditions of the wild. Rural life is foreign to urban boys. They are brought up differently with certain levels of comfort in their suburban homes. The winter cold, the lack of hot meals, no hot water and the absence of comfy mattresses for approximately a month reduces the desire to attend initiation schools away from home.
I asked a few relatives how they felt about being circumcised in this modern style. The responses were all different but there was common thread. They were all negatively criticised by their peers for not going the traditional route. The urban circumcisions were classified as fake. Their peers frowned upon their decision to have their circumcision performed by a medical doctor. The critics believe that the whole point of the experience is to leave home and learn how to become a man with other boys away from home. It should be done in a group and not in isolation. Anything else is said to defeat the purpose.
My family has opted for the modernised version of circumcision. My uncles, who are now in their fifties, are the last men in the family to have had their circumcision done the culturally acceptable way. With that said they introduced urban circumcision to the next generation. Ideally they would have liked to keep the tradition unchanged but this is not possible because of the major health risks involved, such as contracting HIV and increased fatalities. Therefore, instead of forfeiting the tradition all together they changed the practice to suit the current needs of modern society. One has to wonder if this practice will continue with the next generation or whether this is the beginning of a slow death.
People are constantly evolving and so does tradition. Like all other cultural and traditional rituals, the practice of initiation has transformed. Transformation is not necessarily a bad thing. What it does mean is that there is space for tradition and culture in a modern society. Those that criticise urban circumcisions may be fearful that the practice is nearing extinction or becoming westernised. But it is important to remember that lifestyles have changed. The focus should be not be on the venue but rather on the principles imparted by the mentors onto their initiates. The emphasis should be teaching boys to become men in a healthy nurturing environment. History is important and should be learned from as well as preserved. Those lessons must be conveyed to the next generation but not at the expense of young lives. My relatives said they had not been fazed by the criticism from outsiders. They appreciated the experience but the practice did not define their manhood.
Phozisa Mkele is a public-relations specialist and freelance writer based in Johannesburg. She is also pursuing a post-graduate degree in English literature and journalism with Wits. I specialize in short story/non-fiction writing and feature writing.
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