Sunday 13th September
Groot Marico
The nearest shop is some distance away in Zeerust, so we left early to get some supplies.
En route, my attention was caught by some giant billboards at the side of the road on which the Department for Health was advertising "free male circumcision" in a bid to discourage unsafe circumcision as part of traditional ulwaluko initiation ceremonies.
It is a traditional practice in many cultures for boys to go through a "coming of age" ceremony to become a man. In Xhosa societies, this involves spending a period of time out in the countryside, painting the body in white ash and having a traditional circumcision performed by an ingcibi - the foreskin is cut with an assegai and the man shouts, "Ndiyindoda!" meaning "I am a man!" After a further process, the whole thing culminates with the initiates washing in the river and burning their possessions and the hut in which they were staying, all symbols of leaving childhood behind.
There is something to be valued in the treasured rituals that have passed down successive generations, but the roadside sign got me thinking about the whole practice of circumcision. We rightly condemn female genital mutilation and call it for what it is, yet when male genitals are barbarised, we give it a respectable sounding name and turn a blind eye.
Now, I'm not talking about properly carried out circumcision performed in medical conditions, and I appreciate it is an important custom in many different cultures and for many different reasons, however many men are forced to undergo this mutilation of their body against their will, and often it is done in a highly dangerous manner.
Here in South Africa, over 20 men died last year as a result of botched traditional circumcision - the death toll since 1995 is 853. Many more have had to have their entire penis removed in order to save their lives. Only months ago, South Africa saw the first successful penis transplant to give back a fully functioning penis to a man who had his amputated following infection due to a badly carried out coming-of-age circumcision. Furthermore, non-sterile implements continue the spread of HIV and other infections.
The government here is taking steps to try and prevent such practices and prominent figures such as Desmond Tutu have powerfully advocated for these traditional ceremonies to employ the use of medical practitioners, but many young men are under pressure from traditional leaders and elders to have things done the traditional way.
I do not seek to judge another's culture, but when young men are dying and suffering bodily loss because of a dangerous practice, let's call it for what it is: male genital mutilation.
But back to the diary... Suitably stocked up, we returned to the farm. The owners have left now as they are carrying out some work in Lichtenberg, leaving us with the whole farm to ourselves, several miles from the nearest human beings. We can count only a few nyala, some guinea fowl and a single ostrich for company. Oh, and the monkeys. Lots and lots of monkeys.
As we wandered across the farm, we found the monkeys had raided a bin at one of the other buildings and were dining out on its contents. Hoards of them had then gathered for the feast and one look from their leader suggested it better that we didn't try to stop them. We forget that while they may seem cute to us as visitors, they pose a real menace when you have to live with them.
There is something to be valued in the treasured rituals that have passed down successive generations, but the roadside sign got me thinking about the whole practice of circumcision. We rightly condemn female genital mutilation and call it for what it is, yet when male genitals are barbarised, we give it a respectable sounding name and turn a blind eye.
Now, I'm not talking about properly carried out circumcision performed in medical conditions, and I appreciate it is an important custom in many different cultures and for many different reasons, however many men are forced to undergo this mutilation of their body against their will, and often it is done in a highly dangerous manner.
Here in South Africa, over 20 men died last year as a result of botched traditional circumcision - the death toll since 1995 is 853. Many more have had to have their entire penis removed in order to save their lives. Only months ago, South Africa saw the first successful penis transplant to give back a fully functioning penis to a man who had his amputated following infection due to a badly carried out coming-of-age circumcision. Furthermore, non-sterile implements continue the spread of HIV and other infections.
The government here is taking steps to try and prevent such practices and prominent figures such as Desmond Tutu have powerfully advocated for these traditional ceremonies to employ the use of medical practitioners, but many young men are under pressure from traditional leaders and elders to have things done the traditional way.
I do not seek to judge another's culture, but when young men are dying and suffering bodily loss because of a dangerous practice, let's call it for what it is: male genital mutilation.
--~~oOo~~--
But back to the diary... Suitably stocked up, we returned to the farm. The owners have left now as they are carrying out some work in Lichtenberg, leaving us with the whole farm to ourselves, several miles from the nearest human beings. We can count only a few nyala, some guinea fowl and a single ostrich for company. Oh, and the monkeys. Lots and lots of monkeys.
As we wandered across the farm, we found the monkeys had raided a bin at one of the other buildings and were dining out on its contents. Hoards of them had then gathered for the feast and one look from their leader suggested it better that we didn't try to stop them. We forget that while they may seem cute to us as visitors, they pose a real menace when you have to live with them.
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