Forty-eight boys in Zambia have been rescued from a male circumcision camp following urgent complaints from parents who reported their children as abducted. Officials confirmed that one of the boys, who was on HIV medication, had not taken his anti-retroviral (ARV) drugs for two weeks.
These secretive traditional rite-of-passage ceremonies involve boys aged between 10 and 17 spending up to six months in seclusion in the bush. Authorities revealed that the camp, located on the outskirts of Livingstone near a national wildlife park, was established without permission, with allegations that the children were kept in unsanitary and hazardous conditions.
Three of the rescued boys were briefly hospitalized due to complications from circumcision, which is often performed using razor blades. According to the Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC), one boy was diagnosed with bilharzia, a chronic illness caused by contaminated water that can hinder growth and brain development.
The initiation site, which had been operational for only two weeks, has since been destroyed. Organizers of such camps typically seek out uncircumcised boys, forcibly entering schools to take those they deem the right age, often without consulting parents and with little resistance from teachers.
Mainga Kabika, a top civil servant in the gender ministry, reprimanded the individual responsible for setting up the camp during a visit to Livingstone to investigate the parents’ complaints. “We want to preserve our tradition, but it must be done legally. You cannot operate outside the law,” Ms. Kabika stated.
Reports indicate that some boys faced physical abuse from those managing the site when they attempted to escape, including the boy who required ARVs. Parents were contacted with demands for up to $75 (£58) to cover expenses, despite not having consented to their children’s participation.
While surgical male circumcision is available in both public and private hospitals in Zambia and is often promoted as a means of reducing HIV transmission, certain ethnic groups still prefer traditional methods. These ceremonies typically occur during the Southern Hemisphere winter to lessen healing discomfort, although they are designed as tests of endurance.
The boys are expected to endure significant pain and harsh living conditions—such as sleeping on bare ground without blankets—to signify their transition from boyhood to manhood. The initiation process remains shrouded in secrecy, with cultural taboos preventing discussion and prohibiting women from approaching circumcision sites.
“How can you keep these children without their parents’ consent? Is that what tradition dictates?” Ms. Kabika questioned.
Billy Milimo, secretary of the Livingstone District Education Board, expressed support for the rescue, stating that the tradition was harmful to the community. “You do not know how excited we are. Our teachers will celebrate this outcome,” he remarked.
The camp’s owner was initially arrested but later released on the condition that he destroy the site, which consisted of makeshift wooden shelters near both the Mosi-Oa-Tunya National Park and a cemetery.
