Abstract
This study investigated the commercialisation of initiation schools. It is argued that the economic hardships and lack of employment have led to some people resorting to any way of living merely for financial gain. The specific objectives were to determine and assess the regulations that govern the opening and running of initiation schools and to determine the palliatives that can curb commercialisation of initiation schools. The research was based on sociocultural theory and used a qualitative research design. The data collection methods used included secondary sources, focus group discussions and face-to-face interviews. The outcomes were that initiation schools are open to abuse by opportunistic unemployed people and some who are employed who want to add to their meagre wages so as to make a living, thereby crippling and undermining a cultural practice that is highly esteemed. The study recommends effective indigenous knowledge management to curb the unethical practices of commercialisation of initiation schools. Furthermore, strategies should be adopted to document this knowledge and formulate policies that will govern it.Contribution: In line with the journal scope, this article focuses on the African Tradition Religion practice of initiation schools. This subject matter is multi-disciplinary and it covers how the sacred practice has been defiled through commersialisation and deviation from its original intent.
Highlights
Male circumcision is the most established and most customary surgery done in young men; it is performed all through the world for traditional, clinical, ritual and cosmetic reasons
This study explored how initiation schools are used for financial gain by some unscrupulous people in Mthatha, Eastern Cape, by conducting a literature review
The literature review in this study examined the following topics: the role of initiation schools, circumcision during initiation as an act of religious dedication, the Indigenous Knowledge System (IKS) perspective on initiation schools and complications associated with circumcision at initiation schools
Summary
Male circumcision is the most established and most customary surgery done in young men; it is performed all through the world for traditional, clinical, ritual and cosmetic reasons. Among Jews and Muslims, circumcision is a religious ritual that is performed on male children around age seven; it is performed rarely among other religions. Among Africans, male circumcision is common, but others use it as a strategy for the prevention of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). Some communities that no longer perform circumcision are interested in doing it as an HIV/AIDS prevention strategy. In South Africa (SA) male circumcision is part of an initiation: it is a rite of passage marking the transition from boyhood to manhood. Indigenous Knowledge System (IKS) were a necessary tool to administer serenity, harmony and order in Africa
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