Another five would-be initiates died in the Eastern Cape on the weekend, bringing the winter circumcision death toll to 36, the provincial health department said on Monday.
Spokesperson Sizwe Kupelo said one youth died at an illegal initiation school in the Lusikisiki area on Saturday, and another at a school in the Libode area on Sunday.
Two died after being admitted to the Nelson Mandela Academic Hospital in Mthatha, one on Saturday and one on Sunday, and the fifth boy died on Sunday night at St Barnabas Hospital in Libode.
Kupelo said one youth was admitted to Canzibe Hospital at Ngqeleni on Sunday, and as he was admitted, his gangrenous penis fell off.
He would be transferred to Nelson Mandela for surgery.
Four other youths were admitted to St Barnabas on the weekend for complications following circumcision, bringing the total there to 20.
There were 22 youths in care at Nelson Mandela Academic Hospital, and 12 at Mthatha General.
In Lusikisiki, enraged doctors last week took matters into their own hands and rescued 36 youths from illegal schools. Kupelo said he had been informed that of the 36, six had suffered ”spontaneous amputations” when their penises dropped off, and two lost parts of their penises.
Three had been referred to Nelson Mandela Academic Hospital with grade-four gangrene and faced medical amputation.
He said provincial health minister Phumulo Masualle planned to visit some of the hospitalised youths, and would likely then announce further measures to deal with the problem.
”But we still appeal to members of the public to bring the perpetrators to book, because these boys get circumcised by people from within the community,” Kupelo said.
The only way to stop illegal circumcisions was to put those responsible behind bars.
Kupelo said over the years, the department’s safer-circumcision campaign had been a success.
There was compliance with the Eastern Cape’s circumcision legislation in most parts of the province.
It was only in the Pondoland area, where 35 of the 36 deaths occurred, that there was still a problem. — Sapa