PORT ST JOHN’S – The Port St John’s Magistrate’s Court has sentenced Orlando Ngcaca (28) to three years’ direct imprisonment after he pleaded guilty to two counts of contravening the Customary Initiation Act of 2021, last week.
According to National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson, Luxolo Tyali, Ngcaca illegally circumcised two boys, both aged 11, without the knowledge or consent of their parents. The incident took place at Siqhozameni locality in Port St John’s on 27 November 2024. Tyali explained that the boys had approached Ngcaca the previous day with R30, requesting to be circumcised.
“He demanded R100 or live chickens as payment and instructed them to return the next day. When they came back to retrieve their money, he instead ordered them into a rondavel at his home, circumcised them, and sent them to an initiation school without the required medical certificates or parental consent,” Tyali said.
Tyali also noted that the matter was initially delayed as one of the guardians refused to submit a medical report, but eventually complied after consultations.
Ngcaca was arrested following a report filed by the parents and appeared in court on 9 December 2024.
“After tendering his guilty plea, the accused was convicted and sentenced. Both counts were taken together for sentencing purposes. The court noted that while the victims did not suffer permanent disfigurement or loss of penile function, his actions placed their lives at serious risk,” said Tyali.
Welcoming the sentencing, Eastern Cape Director of Public Prosecutions, Advocate Barry Madolo, commended the parents for their responsible actions.
“The children could easily have died under the reckless care of the so-called surgeon and his accomplices. These cases are seldom finalised due to non-compliance with investigations,” Madolo said.
He added that initiates often fear that revealing certain secrets of the custom in court undermines their manhood, making them reluctant to testify or provide statements.
He praised the courage of the parents in ensuring that justice was served.
Pheello Oliphant, spokesperson for the MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs in the Eastern Cape, Zolille Williams, welcomed Ngcaca’s direct imprisonment. However, he expressed the department’s wish for a harsher sentence of up to 15 years.
“The victims are too young to comprehend and appreciate manhood and adulthood. We condemn the scourge of illegal initiation involving underage children. The deaths of initiates in the province, especially in the O.R. Tambo District, must come to an end. The law must come down hard on lawbreakers. We urge the NPA to amend legislation and treat the illegal initiation of underage children as murder,” Oliphant said.
