Mass circumcision ceremonies leave 43 boys dead and dozens more mutilated in South Africa

Article here. Excerpt:

'Mass circumcision ceremonies in South Africa have left more than 43 boys dead and dozens more mutilated.

The rituals – known in the country as ‘Ulwaluko’ – are carried out twice a year at initiation schools with the intention of preparing young men for adulthood.

When the youngsters arrive, they are taken away from their families and smothered in white clay.

They then spend three weeks transitioning from boys to men before being returned home.

As part of the ceremony, the initiates are meant to be circumcised by traditional surgeons who have years of experience.

But many circumcisions are instead carried out by unskilled people working at illegal initiation schools who use old spears, scissors or razor blades to perform horrific surgery.

Ulwaluko can be deadly. While this year local media reported that 43 boys were killed in the ceremonies, in 2024, the combined deaths of both winter and summer rituals was 93 boys with 11 total penis amputations – with some rogue 'surgeons' found to perform the operation without anaesthetic.'