GEORGE NEWS - More than 50 boys from George, Thembalethu and Lawaaikamp attended initiation school during the festive season.
Every year a number of boys die during this traditional ritual into manhood due to botched circumcisions, especially in the Eastern Cape.
Fortunately the Western Cape did not record any deaths this season and the boys returned from the mountains without any problems.
George Herald witnessed the cultural ceremony of the amaXhosa when the boys returned home after doing their duties in the mountains and were welcomed by their families and elders.
The ceremony in George was held in Ngcakani Street, Thembalethu and in Mossel Bay it was held at Highway Park in Bonanza Street. This year saw the rare occasion of twins of different sexes coming of age.
In this case, the female twin is expected to undergo the initiation process together with her brother, but with a few differences. She takes part in the original ceremony, after which the brother goes to the mountains while she stays quietly at home and receives her instruction pertaining to adult life.
She does not undergo female genital mutilation.
When the boys return from the mountains, she joins her brother in the final ceremony. She cuts her hair, wears a blanket and walks barefoot alongside her brother, and also joins in the ceremonial singing.
Lathitha'langa Maki, the sister, under-went the initiation with her brother Yathitha'nyama Maki, cutting her beautiful long hair, wearing a hot blanket in the summer heat and going barefoot in the veld. She also stayed indoors while her brother was in the initiation school.
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