Dozens of boys and young men are dying in South Africa’s traditional circumcision rites

Initiates return after completing their passage to manhood at a traditional initiation school, in Phuthaditjhaba, South Africa, Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Alfonso Nqunjana) 2026-03-20T01:28:51Z PHUTHADITJHABA, South Africa (AP) — The 22-year-old Lamkelo Mtyho had no known health issues when he joined his peers, wrapped in blankets and smeared in clay, for the most important ritual of his young life: the highly secretive process of traditional circumcision. His family in South Africa expected him to return triumphant, full of cultural knowledge and officially a man. Three weeks later, they learned that he was dead. He was one of at least 48 boys and young men who died during the latest round of initiation ceremonies in South Africa. It is rare to hear the story of an initiate who died. Because of participants’ silence around the ritual, families and authorities have struggled to understand and police a deeply traditional but often abused practice. At least a half-dozen former initiates would not speak to The Associated Press. Meanwhile, hundreds of illegal initiation schools attract people who can’t afford registered ones. Police and government officials usually announce deaths only when a significant number occur. There are few court cases or autopsies. Traditional circumcisions can carry fatal risks including poorly trained practitioners and cutting tools that are unsanitary or used more than once. Dehydration and badly managed septic wounds are among the main causes of death, and the remote settings mean help is usually far away. “Imagine this number: 476 young people died in a five-year period and yet they were well before going into initiation. These deaths are unacceptable and should never have happened,” former health minister Zwelini Mkhize told parliament last year. But these are risks that hundreds of thousands of South Africans are ready to take. The next season begins in June. They happen twice a year. Initiates return following a traditional initi

原文链接: AP News