Cape Town - The Nyanga and Stellenbosch initiation forums are up in arms, claiming the Stellenbosch Municipality has denied them access to the Ida’s Valley initiation site for the summer initiation season.
The area had previously been used by the Basotho and Hlubi tribes for their annual summer initiation schools.
However, the initiation forums said they were informed by the municipality last month that they would not gain access to the area this year, a decision they have rejected.
The forums have vowed to protest at the municipal offices today to address the issue.
Chairperson of the Nyanga Initiation Forum, Mark Khoabane, said they were told they were denied a permit to use the area as it has been flagged as a fire risk.
“The Stellenbosch Municipality manager sent us a WhatsApp message informing us that Cape Winelands Fire Association has declined us a permit to initiate at Ida’s Valley, and that the Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport (DCAS) was informed.
“The message was sent to us on October 8, while they know initiation the season starts on November 1.
“The sad part is that in all of this we were never consulted. We do believe that the fire association was just a scapegoat and the municipality is behind the closing of initiation to accommodate cycling which (clashes with the initiation route,” he said.
Khoabane said they have registered more than 140 initiates for this year’s initiation season.
The Ida’s Valley Nature Area was closed to the public by the municipality last year.
Stellenbosch Municipality spokesperson, Stuart Grobbelaar, said the initiation site had been flagged as a fire risk by the Winelands Fire Protection Association (WFPA), not by the municipality.
“At this meeting it was established that DCAS will need to bring an exemption application to the national minister in order to obtain the necessary fire permit from WFPA. DCAS is also in contact with Cape Nature about other possible sites.
“The municipality remains committed to safeguarding all sacred cultural activities in our municipal area,” he said.
Western Cape DCAS spokesperson, Tania Colyn, said the department was in contact with both the municipality and the initiation structures in the area to find a way forward.
“The department is committed to working with the municipality to look at risk mitigation measures that can be put in place to allow this important rite of passage to continue in a suitable space in the area,” said Colyn.
Cape Times