SCHOOLBOYS IN THE EASTERN CAPE TO RECEIVE TRAINING ON SAFE CIRCUMCISION PRACTICES

The Department of Public Health under the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences recently held a schoolboy circumcision symposium at the Mthatha Health Resource Centre.

This symposium was a collaboration between WSU, the Eastern Cape House of Traditional Leaders and the Khoi-San Leaders on interventions towards safe customary male initiation and to unpack the schoolboy training syllabus.

Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences executive dean, Prof Wezile Chitha, said: “The university's focus includes three main areas. The first is training, particularly around sustainable development. This tradition is dynamic, evolving, and progressive. As leaders, we need to ensure ongoing circumcision training, equipping ourselves with the necessary skills to uphold and advance the tradition.”

Chitha emphasised that impactful research is a key focus area for the university, stating that anyone conducting research on circumcision should understand that their work aims to improve the practice and reduce the risks that lead to loss of life.

“The university plays a significant role in understanding how we reached this point and exploring ways forward. While we all have perspectives on the matter, evidence-based practice is essential. This is our tradition, but we need concrete evidence to determine what is effective and what is not,” said Chitha.

He added that the university is joining the collaboration to affirm that this tradition is here to stay. Their role is to conduct research and develop interventions to shape it into what they envision.

The symposium unpacked the aim, the objectives, and the modules of the schoolboy training syllabus. It was highlighted that the goal of the syllabus is to empower the schoolboys with behavioural and environmental strategies and the capacity to escape the unsuspected complexity of death and complications related to traditional male circumcision (TMC).

Public Health Senior Researcher, Proffessor Mbuyiselo Douglas, said: “The syllabus will be delivered to schoolboys, 12 to 18 years of age, at targeted schools through face-to-face sessions embedded with several case scenarios, practicals, and demonstrations to enable them to appreciate the content better. This training will embrace the heritage of cultural values such as ubuntu, respect, ubudoda obuqotho (real manhood), honesty, caring for women and children as reflected in the Customary Initiation Act, 2021.”

He added that the methodology of the training is on the empowerment of boys through the application of objectives, explaining of legislative framework, and the application of health promotion models.  

Chairperson of the Eastern Cape Provincial Initiation Coordinating Committee and Keynote Speaker, Chief Gwazinamba Matanzima, said: “Preserving our cultural heritage requires collective responsibility. Traditional male initiation, a sacred ritual belonging to our ancestors, demands attention to detail, expertise, and community involvement. It’s more than just a ceremony; it is a rite of passage that requires careful execution to avoid risks and complications. “

He asserted that effective collaboration is crucial in safeguarding the circumcision tradition. He said, by working together, they can ensure adherence to traditional protocols and procedures, promote proper training and expertise among initiation practitioners, and prevent and manage risks associated with the initiation process, including dehydration, septic circumcision, cardiopulmonary failure, septicaemia, and acute kidney injury.

The objectives of the symposium were to clarify the adoption of the Nyandeni District Model and explain the role of the university in traditional Male Circumcision, to unpack the WSU niche area, Sustainable Development, and Contemporary Issues in Society and Education (SDCISE), to share ideas on the collaborative intervention to safe customary male initiation and to consolidate schoolboy curriculum inputs from relevant stakeholders before implementing the syllabus in January 2025 to December 2027.

By Anita Roji