ANC Youth League (ANCYL) Western Cape calls for Table Mountain to be made available for initiations
2 July 2015
As we embark upon the month of July, ANCYL Western Cape would like to particularly remind the nation and specifically the people of the Western Cape that the winter season signals the beginning of the initiation schools season for many African communities.
Many boys across the country and the province have entered initiation schools and many more will be entering the schools as the official school holidays have commenced. Likewise in the Western Cape many boys have commenced with the rite of passage to adulthood as epitomised by the tradition.
As many cases of loss of life in other provinces have been reported, we are fortunate in the Western Cape, as there are no such cases reported. The ANCYL commends and encourages the province’s tribal surgeons and the guardians in charge of looking after the initiates.
However the major problem that is faced by prospective initiates in the province is the shortage of land for this deeply imbedded traditional practice.
Traditionally the practice has to take place in areas far from communities and areas where there are not many people, especially women passing by. This practice is necessitated by a need for purity for the passage of initiates from one stage of their lives to the next. In the Western Cape this important part of the tradition is not properly honoured because of a space shortage.
Initiation schools take place in every pocket of land that is available. In many cases it takes place near train stations and highways. The situation is exacerbated by the spate of land grabs. Marikana informal settlement in Nyanga, Cape Town is a case in point. In a province where we ought to respect our diverse cultural heritage, this shortage of space does not give this African tradition the respect it deserves.
It is for this particular reason that the ANCYL is very much concerned and thus calls upon government to endeavour to protect the traditional initiation practice by making suitable land available for it.
It is our view that a portion of Table Mountain must be made available for this pressing need. Table Mountain as a national heritage site is actually suitable as a delivery site to host initiates, thereby allowing them the necessary privacy as the inherent requirement for the initiates. Table Mountain is far from communities and is a mountainous area with enough space to accommodate initiates from all over the province.
We call upon our traditional leaders, religious leaders, parents and other stakeholders to rally behind the ANCYL’s call for the dignity of our initiation practice.
The City of Cape Town together with the Provincial Government should find ways to ensure that the initiation school practice is protected and monitored appropriately before there can be any deaths in the province.
We believe that initiation practice is a central and most important tradition amongst our African communities. The government should therefore walk the talk and treat everyone in the province equally and accord this tradition the necessary respect it deserves within our multi-cultural society.
The ANCYL will be monitoring this initiation season very carefully and will make announcements from time to time around any incidences that could have been preventable and will constantly call upon those involved to act in the best interests of the safety of our youth.
Statement issued by African National Congress Youth League Western Cape, July 2 2015
