Forty-eight children have been rescued from a traditional circumcision site in Livingstone after concerns about reported verbal and physical abuse they suffered.
Among the rescued children was one who required antiretroviral therapy but was denied medication at the location operated by the Mbunda tribe of Livingstone.
According to the Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC), another child at the site had bilharzia.
The site, established two weeks ago, has since been destroyed.
Mainga Kabika, the Gender Division permanent secretary who led a combined government team, cautioned against violating children’s rights by conducting illegal initiation ceremonies.
“We want to preserve our tradition but you have to follow regulations. You just don’t do things against the law like this. How do you keep these children without their parents’ consent, is that what tradition says?”
While surgical circumcision is accessible in both public and private healthcare facilities, specific tribes in Zambia also observe traditional rituals marking the transition from boyhood to manhood, which include the Mukanda – the name for the traditional ceremony.
In some cases, children who have reached a certain age are forcibly taken from their communities and brought to these locations, where they may stay for up to a month.
Ms. Kabika emphasized that abducting children without their parents’ consent constitutes a form of gender-based violence.
“In the Mukanda, we found out that there is one child who is on ARVs and was being kept in here without medication..and we found that there’s another child who has bilharzia,” she said.
She said some of the children are currently receiving treatment.
Kenneth Makai, the alleged owner of the site who reportedly collaborated with others to enlist the children, sought forgiveness from the authorities.
“If there is anything wrong I have done, I ask for forgiveness,” he said.
Education authorities are happy that Livingstone will not host any of such ceremonies.
Billy Milimo, the Livingstone District Education Board Secretary disclosed that female teachers are usually harassed by the boys who recruit those to be initiated.
He said Livingstone no longer wanted the Mukanda because “it has destroyed our children.
In traditional circumcision ceremonies, razor blades are commonly utilized to conduct the procedures.
These ceremonies are frequently planned during the winter season to reduce the discomfort linked to the healing process due to the cold temperatures.