Eastern Cape tightens law on circumcision to stem casualties
BMJ 2001; 323 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.323.7321.1090/b (Published 10 November 2001) Cite this as: BMJ 2001;323:1090- Pat Sidley
- Johannesburg
Legislation regulating the practice of circumcision in the Eastern Cape, one of South Africa's nine provinces, has been enacted to help stem the tide of casualties of young men who have either died or been maimed after botched circumcisions.
The Eastern Cape is home to the Xhosa group of people, the group to which Nelson Mandela and president Thabo Mbeki belong. It is one of the tribes in southern Africa that perform the ritual of circumcision as boys reach the age of 18 years as part of a rite admitting them to manhood.
However, after many years …
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