Written By Lisa Murimi
Forty-eight boys have been rescued from a male circumcision camp in Zambia following desperate complaints from parents about their children being abducted.
Authorities found the boys in unsanitary and dangerous conditions near Livingstone town.
One boy, who had been on HIV medication, had missed his anti-retroviral drugs for two weeks.
Three boys were hospitalized due to complications from circumcisions performed with razor blades. Another boy was found suffering from bilharzia, a chronic illness caused by contaminated water.
The initiation camp, set up without permission two weeks ago, has since been burnt down. Officials alleged the children were “caged” and held without consent.
Traditional “mukanda” rites see boys aged 10 to 17 secluded in the bush for up to six months. Those running the camp reportedly forced their way into schools to take uncircumcised boys, without consulting parents or teachers.
Mainga Kabika, a top civil servant in the gender ministry, reprimanded the camp’s organizer, emphasizing the need to follow regulations.
She led a team to investigate parents’ complaints in Livingstone, a tourist hub near Victoria Falls. Kabika stressed the importance of preserving tradition within the law.
Some boys reported physical abuse after trying to escape. Parents were contacted with demands for up to $75 (£58) in expenses.
Despite the availability of surgical circumcision in hospitals, some ethnic groups prefer the traditional approach, seeing it as a test of endurance.
Billy Milimo, secretary of the Livingstone District Education Board, praised the rescue, calling the tradition harmful. “Our teachers will jubilate and dance,” he told Zambia’s Daily Mail newspaper.
The camp organizer was initially arrested but released on the condition he burn down the site, which bordered the Mosi-Oa-Tunya National Park and a cemetery.
