A longstanding manhood ritual reveals some sobering, unintended truths in the South African drama “The Wound” from director John Trengove. Issues of sexuality, generational divide, class and ...

As ulwaluko continues to resonate through Xhosa communities, an urgent dialogue is required to address the challenges faced ...

Public conversations on the tradition of ulwaluko are usually centred on male oriented norms for circumcision. It israre to hear the conversation geared towards what ulwaluko actually means to black ...

Last weekend, this newspaper carried a harrowing story about the continuing tragedy of adolescents who are ­victims of botched circumcisions. We wish it had given us insights into why most of these ...

If “Moonlight” had been about male circumcision in South Africa, it might look a lot like “The Wound.” Like Barry Jenkins’ hit film, the official South African submission to the Foreign Language Oscar ...

The controversial summer Ulwaluko rite, carried out by the Xhosa people in South Africa, has concluded for 2025, leaving 39 boys dead. The traditional ceremony, in which initiates are circumcised, ...

I recently spent two weeks in the Eastern Cape, my father’s home, to mark the end of my mother’s mourning period. In my culture, this period signifies deep respect for the dead and the family at large ...

But, when culture goes wrong, it can be devastating. Initiation, or ulwaluko &ndash in the form of male circumcision &ndash is an example. It has caused nearly 100 deaths this past initiation season ...

In a heartwarming gesture, St Andrew’s College in Makhanda recently shared a viral Facebook post welcoming back four of their grade 11 pupils who successfully underwent the Xhosa rite of passage ...

Unfortunately, the process can be problematic. More than 1,000 initiates have died in the province between 1995 and 2017. Complications from botched circumcision procedures — including penile ...

A longstanding manhood ritual reveals some sobering, unintended truths in the South African drama “The Wound” from director John Trengove. Issues of sexuality, generational divide, class and ...