One of the senior traditional leaders in Limpopo’s Vhembe District, Chief Muofhe Netsianda, has warned traditional surgeons whose main aim is to make money out of circumcision schools.

Netsianda said circumcisions should be executed properly, because circumcisions are symbols of the traditional custom aimed at taking young boys to manhood.

He was recently speaking at Lwamondo village’s Munna Ndi Nnyi ? hall when 1 034 initiates returned from the mountains. He was pleased that all the initiates had returned in good health. “We encourage traditional surgeons to work the with Munna Ndi Nnyi? Men´s Forum, as well as the Department of Health for safe circumcision practices. We are successful in handling circumcision schools and hopefully we will serve as an example to other provinces, that in Limpopo we do it with care,” said Netsianda.

He congratulated the eight traditional surgeons who worked with the young boys from the Vhembe District. He stated that the training and workshop conducted by Munna Ndi Nnyi? before the event was another reason why the initiation schools were a success.

The chairperson of Munna Ndi Nnyi?, Mr Budwell Mufunwainwi, said they conducted campaigns and workshops and monitored the initiation schools. “We have a team of eight trained men who go to different areas in Vhembe educating the community about culture and health issues and promoting a healthy lifestyle. We are celebrating with traditional surgeons, parents and traditional leaders, because we work well and nobody died in Limpopo´s initiation schools this year," said Mufunwainwi.

He said his organization was funded by the Aids Foundation of South Africa and their aim was to help establishing good morals in the community and promoting safe circumcision for young boys.

“Munna Ndi Nnyi is also working well with men, in partnership with HIV/Aids (MIPAA), to encourage men to participate on HIV/Aids issues. We were given more than R1million this financial year to educate people about ubuntu, morals and respect,” added Mufunwainwi.

One of the parents, Mr Matamba Mamuremi, said he was over the moon to learn that Vhembe region in Limpopo was celebrating “no single death in initiation schools around Vhembe this season". Mamuremi cited the cooperation between traditional surgeons with the Department of Health and organisations such as Munna Ndi Nnyi as the reason for the success of initiation schools this season.