South Africa: MEC in hot water for circumcision comments

Article here. Excerpt:

'MPUMALANGA - The Mpumalanga Health MEC should be fired over her circumcision comments, according to the National Education Health and Allied Workers Union.

Candith Mashedo-Dlamini last week said tradition forbids her (as a woman) to get involved in the deaths of 23 young men who lost their lives at the start of the circumcision season in Mpumalanga.

Nehawu says the MEC's reluctance to take action amounts to a dereliction of duty.

It's the second organisation to condemn the MEC’s comments.

The Public Service Accountability Monitor on Friday lashed out at the lack of adequate safety measures at circumcision schools.

“This is a tradition... this is a tradition... so in other traditions whether there are deaths or what - but a woman can't come closer to that. But because there are police now, we're relying on the police so that they can give us reports," Mashedo-Dlamini said.'