Thousands face agony or death after Zulu king's circumcision decree
Health campaigners say the traditional manhood ritual, which carries HIV risks, should be replaced by operations in hospital [An unfortunate subtitle as the article would seem to argue the whole circumcision-prevents-AIDS approach is flawed.]
Alex Duval SmithThe Observer, Sunday 17 January 2010
An edict by the king of the Zulus to bring back circumcision for thousands of teenage boys is causing alarm in South Africa, amid record numbers of deaths from the traditional manhood ritual.
On Tuesday, at a meeting called in Durban by the government of KwaZulu-Natal, traditional leaders in the province will outline how they wish to implement King Goodwill Zwelithini's decision to reintroduce circumcision 200 years after it was scrapped by King Shaka. But health officials working with South Africa's second largest tribe, the Xhosa – who never gave up the practice – say the move could put thousands of lives at risk.
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King Zwelithini claims to be reintroducing circumcision for Zulu boys because there is evidence that the practice sharply reduces HIV transmission. However, with a Zulu president in power, it is likely that the king is equally motivated by a desire to bolster his nation.
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The tradition also places a tremendous financial burden on poor families. Goats, blankets and bottles of Viceroy brandy and Smirnoff vodka must be bought. After initiation, a young man must be bought a suit and cap and must throw away his entire wardrobe, including underwear, shoes, school uniform and school bag from his boyhood. Even his mobile phone must go.
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More.
The headline says it all.
(While this article is quite accurate, it shows that even generally well informed reporters get it badly wrong as evidenced in this quote, "Other health benefits linked to circumcision include reduced rates for penile, cervical and possibly prostate cancer." In fact, none of these cancers are reduced by male circumcision, and a recent study has shown that evidence that circumcision reduces most STDs is virtually nil.)
