Chief Phathekile Holomisa, President of the Congress of Traditional Leaders of South Africa, has lambasted traditional surgeons for commercialising circumcision rituals.
Chief Phathekile Holomisa, President of the Congress of Traditional Leaders of South Africa, has lambasted traditional surgeons for commercialising circumcision rituals.
Across national media last month, he said surgeons are just in it for the money and hasty operations are responsible for the deaths of many initiates in the province.
Although Grahamstown hasn't had circumcision-related deaths in many years, Grocott's Mail wanted to find out how much traditional surgeons stand to gain and how locals have avoided making deadly mistakes.
Highly reputable surgeon Johnson Tyelbooi says he charges R850 per procedure.
He has over 50 years' experience, without ever having an initiate die due to one of his procedures.
Tyelbooi operates in Grahamstown and the surrounding farm areas like Seven Fountains, Fort Brown, Salem, Cradock Road, Manley Flats and Waainek.
He has strongholds in fields around Mayfield, Egazini, Waainek forest and Belmont Valley where he operates on over 300 boys a season.
His son-in-law and assistant, Simphiwe Bakaqane, spoke to Grocott's Mail this week.
"Tata and I have kept a clean sheet and we've never botched our operations because we take care of the boys," he said. "From the first day until they fully recover."
"Other surgeons just cut and never look back, but we make sure we frequently check up on them – three times a day – and as we speak we're on our way to the Waainek side to check on the boys," Bakaqane said on Thursday.
Although Grahamstown surgeons are generally held in high regard, some people are stunned by the commercialisation of this Xhosa custom.
Traditionalist belonging to the Mpondomise clan, Thembinkosi Sobhuza from Extension 9, says it's a rip off.
"I've never seen anything like this before. Where I come from in the Transkei an ingcibi (surgeon) doesn't charge a cent, but only gets a bottle of brandy.
"I don't know how this has become a profession here in Grahamstown," Sobhuza said.
It is traditionally an elder man's duty to circumcise boys – there isn't supposed to be financial remuneration, he said.
But the costs of circumcision and initiation don't stop at the surgeon's fee.
Mother of four, Beauty Mzizi Dyakala, gave us a detailed list of other expenses that accompany sending your boy up into the mountains.
The following are non-negotiable, she said.
- Two goats must be bought to slaughter – one in a ritual before the boy leaves and the other to provide him with meat while he's out in the bush. Each animal costs R1 200
- Three bottles of brandy (R110 each) – one is drank in the bush after the initiate's hut has been built. The second once initiates return home and give a feedback to their parents, and the third is for men who burn down the hut
- Groceries for a special diet (R900)
- Traditional attire (about R340)
Dyakala says the lavish umgidi (coming-home) ceremony ups the initiation bill, but budgets differ from family to family depending on their taste and the depth of their pockets.
Standard procedure involves buying a minimum of two cases of brandy (R900 each), food for the guests, and special ingredients for making umqombothi (traditional beer), which add up to a round R310.
Finally, all an initiate's old clothes must be given away and an entire new wardrobe must be bought.
When Dyakala opened a clothing account for her nephew, she paid R580 for shoes, around R550 for shirts, underwear (R280), socks (R175) and a jacket for R450.
