WeeklySA_AdminRITE OF PASSAGE: Joy as youngsters return home safe and healthy after undergoing a successful traditional circumcision ritual
By Jabu Kumalo
The air was thick with camaraderie as the boys were alighting from the trucks which had ferried them from their initiation process. Ululations and whistles were the order of the day from the crowd which had lined up the streets to welcome them. There was pushing and pulling with threats of being whipped from Basuwe (the caregivers) who did not want them to get too close to the initiates.
Among those who welcomed the boys was a sprinkle of politicians, religious leaders and other prominent members of society.
The initiates, with their heads bowed as a sign of respect, looked dignified and carried themselves as such. Their shiny red bodies from the letsoku (traditional lotion) that was applied from head to toe, almost resembled the dusty streets they walked on for about half a kilometer to their final destination, the house of their leader and owner of the initiation school, Falakhe “Fire” Gcaka.
The seemingly healthy looking boys had been in the bushes of Rietfontein, just outside Vanderbjlpark, for about five weeks on a journey from boyhood to manhood. They boarded the trucks to take them home on Friday (03/01/2024). The truck was followed by a convoy of vehicles that were hooting while twisting all over the different lanes as it happens during weddings.
The cheek to cheek smile on the face of the soft-spoken leader popularly known as Fire in the community, fists pumping the air with triumph, said it all before he even uttered the words as he welcomed the 40 initiates: “We did it!” He looked very relieved that his charges, the caregivers (Basuwe/teachers), had done a great job and all the kids came back home alive. According to him, they are growing and the community is trusting them with each year passing. Last year they had 30 initiates.
Fire said his spirit is kept high and alive by the enormous support he gets from his community. “My feelings are very high. There was constant contact between me, the parents and families of these children. A lot of calls came from anxious parents and I had to reassure them that their kids are well and safe where they are.”
He said all the parents sign consent forms when they bring their children to him. This is done to safeguard them from accusations of kidnapping and forcing the kids to circumcise.
Fire said: “Seven of the kids here are survivors from another initiation school. The school was shut down after it was discovered that it was illegal. We wish that all initiation schools can be on the same page and do the right thing. They must all be registered so that we can be taken seriously by local councils and the national government. One of my strong points and the reasons I am good in this, is that I also do counselling.”
Addressing the crowd in his welcoming speech, one of the religious leaders, Moruti Tumelo Sefatsa, said: “Ntate Fire you took our children alive and we are grateful that you are bringing them back alive. Parents, thank you for trusting Ntate Fire with your children. He is not alone in this – the religious leaders and politicians are with him.”
The ward 41 chairman in Zone 3, Mdu Makhubu, thanked Fire for his leadership qualities: “We are being led here. We are grateful to have a parent like you in our midst. When you do good, there will always be detractors. Keep on doing the good that you are doing.”One of the principal leaders of the project, the fiery Sylvestor Dlamini, who does not mind mouthing profanities at the drop of a hat, was shouting and giving orders with authority from when the initiates left the bushes right up until they reached home. Unfortunately, some of the words he uttered cannot have space here.
An ecstatic Dlamini said: “We are grateful that every year we are growing. We hope that God will keep on blessing us as he sees the good work that we are doing. The community loves and trusts us immensely. And that gives me joy.”
On Saturday (04/03/2025), all the initiates were issued with certificates of attendance before they were released. This was the first time such certificates were handed to initiates.
The ceremony was also attended by Tankiso Mofokeng, who is the founder member and spokesperson of the Tshaba Tsohle Initiation and Tradition (TTIT) organisation, the mother body of all initiation schools. The organisation is committed to restoring dignity and pride in traditional practices.
