A longstanding manhood ritual reveals some sobering, unintended truths in the South African drama “The Wound” from director John Trengove. Issues of sexuality, generational divide, class and ...

Unless you’re a healthcare worker, you’ve probably never seen anything like the pictures on Ulwaluko.co.za. “Please be warned that this website contains graphic medical images of penile disfigurement ...

Public conversations on the tradition of ulwaluko are usually centred on male oriented norms for circumcision. It israre to hear the conversation geared towards what ulwaluko actually means to black ...

Last weekend, this newspaper carried a harrowing story about the continuing tragedy of adolescents who are ­victims of botched circumcisions. We wish it had given us insights into why most of these ...

The ulwaluko is a circumcision ritual practised by South Africa's ethnic Xhosa tribe between May and July each year. The Xhosa, whose name is pronounced with a click of the palate, have a tradition ...

But, when culture goes wrong, it can be devastating. Initiation, or ulwaluko &ndash in the form of male circumcision &ndash is an example. It has caused nearly 100 deaths this past initiation season ...

Unfortunately, the process can be problematic. More than 1,000 initiates have died in the province between 1995 and 2017. Complications from botched circumcision procedures — including penile ...

Members of the Somagwaza Institute have voiced their concerns about the impact of the ongoing land grabs on initiation. Since the start of the lockdown, the province has seen unprecedented levels of ...