41 young men die in South Africa from circumcision procedures during initiation ceremonies

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Young Xhosa boys, their faces smeared with clay as part of a manhood ritual, stand on the side of the N2 highway July 9, 2001 Mdantsane outside East London in Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. (Photo by Per-Anders Pettersson/ Getty Images)

JOHANNESBURG - At least 41 young men have died as a result of circumcision procedures as part of traditional initiation activities in South Africa in November and December, authorities said Tuesday.

The deaths have prompted a stern response from the national government and renewed calls for stricter oversight of both legal and unregistered initiation schools.

What we know:

Traditional Affairs Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa confirmed Tuesday that at least 41 initiates have died during the 2025 summer season. 

The Eastern Cape has emerged as a major hot spot, accounting for 21 of those fatalities. 

In response to the crisis, law enforcement has arrested 41 individuals in connection with illegal operations. 

Only individuals aged 16 and older are legally permitted to participate with parental consent, yet some arrests involved parents who allegedly falsified their children’s ages to gain admission.

What they're saying:

Minister Hlabisa blamed the rising death toll on a mix of administrative negligence and dangerous, unproven medical advice. 

"There is negligence in terms of meeting health standards in some of the initiation schools," Hlabisa told local broadcasters. "If you take your child to an initiation school, you never make a follow-up, you do not monitor, you do not go there to see whether the child does drink water, you are placing your child at risk."

The backstory:

Traditional initiation is a deeply respected cultural practice among groups such as the Xhosa, Ndebele, Sotho, and Venda communities, serving as a rite of passage into adulthood. 

While the practice is celebrated, the surgical aspect—traditional circumcision—often leads to preventable deaths from infection or dehydration. 

The government has previously passed legislation requiring schools to register and follow safety protocols, but illegal "bogus" schools continue to operate, often motivated by the fees parents pay for their children's participation.

Initiation periods typically run during winter (June-July) and summer (November-December) school holidays.

By the numbers:

41: Total confirmed deaths during the November-December initiation period.

21: Number of deaths recorded in the Eastern Cape province alone.

41: Number of arrests made so far in connection to illegal schools and age falsification.

16: The minimum legal age for a child to be admitted into an initiation school.

What's next:

The government is intensifying its intervention efforts to shut down unregistered schools and ensure that registered ones adhere to strict medical standards. 

Minister Hlabisa has urged parents to be more proactive in monitoring their children’s conditions, emphasizing that the tradition must not compromise the right to life.

 Follow-up investigations into the arrested individuals are ongoing as the summer initiation window officially concludes.