S Africa’s circumcision season ends with 24 dead

Teenagers have been attending initiation schools since the beginning of June for the rituals, seen in many black cultures as an essential rite of passage to manhood.

Problems begin when circumcisers use blunt and unsterilised knives, and when punishments for such lapses as forgetting the words of a chant becomes too severe — some boys were beaten to death.

Police said a 77-year-old initiate was tortured to death at Mafikeng, in the northwest. ‘‘He had injuries to the back and on the chest. He was tortured and beaten,’’ said police spokesman Keaobaka Moses. Moses said the police were investigating the possibility that the elderly man was taken to the school by force.

The National House for Traditional Leaders said if the government okayed legislative powers for traditional leaders, they might be able to control customs like initiation.

‘‘If government doesn’t want to give recognition to the institution then you can’t do anything really,’’ said spokesman Sibusiso Nkosi, adding he had never heard of a 77-year-old being an initiate.