Eleven deaths have already been recorded since the beginning of the summer initiation season late last year. Like most initiation seasons, the most common causes of death are complications from infections —or dehydration. The Eastern Cape’s MEC for cooperative governance and traditional affairs, Fikile Xasa, has previously called on parents to avoid summer initiation schools when temperatures soar and dehydration risks increase.
South Africa is no exception. Last year Gqeberha nearly beat its 1965 record temperature of 40.7°C when the mercury hit 40.2°C. This means that depriving initiates of water after circumcision could spell disaster for the thousands of boys who are bound for the mountains in future summers. The World Health Organisation characterises heat waves as one of the most dangerous of natural hazards. Between 1988 and 2017, WHO said that 166 000 people died due to extreme temperatures, while in 2015 the number of people exposed to heat waves increased by 175-million across the globe.
A thesis waiting to happen
The deaths are due to SEPSIS due to the lack of surgical hygiene. The conditions around most of the circumcisions are comparable to those in the 19th century. The deaths are NOT due to dehydration