Forty-eight boys have been freed from a clandestine circumcision camp in Zambia following urgent complaints from parents who alleged their children had been abducted. Among the rescued boys was one who had missed two weeks of vital HIV medication, officials confirmed to the BBC.
The boys, aged between 10 and 17, were held in seclusion as part of a traditional rite-of-passage ceremony known as “mukanda.” These ceremonies can last up to six months and involve boys living in the bush. The unauthorised camp, located on the outskirts of Livingstone near a national wildlife park, was found to be unsanitary and dangerous. The authorities described the conditions as “caged,” and noted the site had been set up without permission.
Three of the boys required brief hospitalisation for complications following circumcision procedures typically performed with razor blades. According to the Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC), one boy was also suffering from bilharzia, a chronic illness transmitted through contaminated water that can impair growth and brain development.
The camp, established two weeks prior, has since been destroyed. The practice of forcibly taking boys from schools to undergo the mukanda ritual, often without parental consent, has drawn significant criticism. Parents reported receiving demands for up to $75 (£58) for their children’s participation, despite not having agreed to their involvement.
Mainga Kabika, the top civil servant in the gender ministry, led a team to investigate the parents’ complaints. She condemned the camp’s operations, emphasising the need to follow regulations while preserving tradition. “We want to preserve our tradition but you have to follow regulations. You just don’t do things against the law like this,” Ms Kabika stated.
Reports from Zambia’s Daily Mail highlighted physical abuse endured by some boys who tried to escape the camp at night, including the boy needing ARVs. Despite the availability of surgical male circumcision in public and private hospitals, certain ethnic groups in Zambia favour traditional methods, viewing the process as a test of endurance. The boys are expected to endure pain and harsh living conditions, such as sleeping on bare ground without blankets, to prove their transition from boyhood to manhood.
The initiation ceremony is shrouded in secrecy, and discussing it is considered a cultural taboo. Women are forbidden from approaching circumcision sites. “How do you keep these children without their parents’ consent, is that what the tradition says?” Ms Kabika questioned.
Billy Milimo, secretary of the Livingstone District Education Board, praised the rescue operation, calling the tradition harmful to the community. “You do not know how excited we are. Our teachers will jubilate and dance,” he remarked.
The camp owner was initially arrested but was released on the condition that he dismantle and burn the site, which consisted of makeshift wooden shelters bordering the Mosi-Oa-Tunya National Park and a nearby cemetery.
