HAMURAGA - The parents of the initiates who were attending the circumcision school at Hamuraga in Venda were over the moon and delighted to welcome back their sons.

The 269 initiates from different parts of Venda and Malamulele were attending the initiation school at the bush of Tshinyekeni in Hamuraga near Thohoyandou.

The family members of the initiates were seen carrying a lot of fruit, vegetables and other food as welcoming gifts and to congratulate them for moving from boyhood to manhood. All the people who had been attending the school seemed to be in a healthy condition and were ready to go back to school as soon as possible.

The parents thanked the traditional doctor and Chief Muraga for taking care about their children.

Maine wa tshikolo tsha murundu (traditional doctor of that circumcision school) Phalalani Mugwedi (39) said that he started practicing the circumcision school at the age of 19. At that time, he was helping his late father, Nkhumeleni Mugwedi. When his father passed away in 1987, he continued to run the school, as per instruction from the ancestors.

Since he has been running the school, not one of the initiates has been reported missing or has died. Mugwedi also thanks the Premier’s office for intervening in a sense to ensure that schools do not get out of hand. “This really shows us that the government is supporting us traditional doctors who are natural gifted by our ancestors. But I’m pleading with the government representatives to dignify our traditional schools by visiting them,” said Mugwedi.