41 Boys Dead in Shocking ‘Circumcision’ Ritual

A sacred rite meant to turn boys into men has turned into a national nightmare — 41 young men are dead after botched circumcision ceremonies across South Africa.

The gruesome deaths occurred during December’s initiation season, when hundreds of teenage boys vanish into the bush for weeks to undergo traditional rituals — including circumcision performed with crude instruments and no anesthesia.

“This is not culture — this is murder,” said Thando Majola, a youth activist from Eastern Cape whose cousin died during a 2019 ceremony. “These boys go into the mountains as sons and come back in coffins.”

The deaths, confirmed Tuesday by South Africa’s Minister of Traditional Affairs Velenkosini Hlabisa, mark one of the deadliest initiation seasons in years.

Authorities say the victims — many of them teens — died from infections, dehydration, or blood loss. Some were even ordered not to drink water after circumcision, believing it would “speed up healing.”

“There’s gross negligence at some of these initiation schools,” Hlabisa said. “When parents send their children and never check on them, they are gambling with their lives.”

Each year, families in rural areas pay hundreds of dollars to send their sons to secret “manhood schools.” The teens are isolated in remote mountain camps, where elders teach tribal customs and perform circumcisions as a final test of endurance.

But in many cases, these initiation camps are unregistered and run by impostors — some using rusty blades or unhygienic tools.

Government crackdowns and licensing laws have done little to stop the surge of illegal “bush schools,” which lure poor families with cheaper prices.

Eastern Cape province — birthplace of Nelson Mandela and home to the Xhosa people — has again become a death zone, with 21 of this year’s fatalities recorded there alone.

Police have arrested 41 people, including parents who allegedly lied about their sons’ ages to sneak them in underage. By law, no one under 16 can attend initiation schools — but enforcement is often nonexistent.

“These are children,” said a horrified health official in Johannesburg. “They go in proud to become men. They come back in body bags.”

Community leaders say the deaths are often hidden from outsiders, with families pressured to stay silent out of “respect for culture.”

“This isn’t a tradition anymore,” said a local nurse who treats survivors. “It’s a horror show.”

Despite public outrage, the deadly ceremonies continue every summer and winter holiday — leaving dozens dead each year.

In some villages, initiates who try to quit are beaten or shunned. Others bleed to death in isolated camps where there’s no medical help.

Human rights groups have demanded that all circumcisions be medically supervised, but tribal leaders resist, saying outside interference would “destroy” their culture.

For now, the killing season continues — one that turns South Africa’s hills and forests into silent burial grounds for boys who never got the chance to become men.