Grahamstown's initiation school may be forced to move for the second time because of a new development nearby.
Grahamstown's initiation school may be forced to move for the second time because of a new development nearby.
The site of the school, on the triangle of commonage between Belmont Valley Road and the R67 extension of Dr Jacob Zuma Drive (Raglan Road), changed 10 years ago to make way for Vukani township.
Now the construction of the new Egazini Interpretation Centre means initiates will have to find another place.
Cultural restrictions on initiates, particularly the stipulation that as a group they experience a period of isolation from their community, mean the initiation school cannot be located close to a public space.
In addition to being an interpretative centre for the Battle of Egazini – the 1819 attack led by Makhanda on the British garrison in Grahamstown – it will also serve as a sports, recreation, arts and culture centre.
“We are doing a road construction that will be a pathway to the monument," said Keegan Bergings, a surveyor at B.R.O. Civils.
"Our part is to do the road, parking area and building platform, then another company will take over and build the monument.”
Initiate Lindile Sakhi said the noise and activity nearby was disruptive. He said the work continued every day of the week.
"We can't even go the hilltop to relax any more," Sakhi said.
"It is not only disrupting because of the noise from construction, but also it is adding more space restrictions to the restrictions we are already bound to obey."
Initiation doctor Bawo Ntleki, however, contradicted the boys' complaints, saying his work was not disturbed by the construction work.
The initiates still had a lot of space, he said, and that hilltop was not the only place they could go.
“The Centre will be at the tip of the mountain," said Site Technician Thomas Stofile, "so the initiates may be forced to move away. The monument is too close to where they are situated now.”
Attempts to get comments from officials at Makana Municipality were unsuccessful.
