Considering the blowback on the (further) dangers of circumcision we reported on back in April that include such devastating consequences as Herpes infection, one would think such traditions would be handled more delicately by its practitioners.

But it seems a group of boys in South Africa have now died due to their undergoing circumcision rituals.

Police in South Africa have reported that more than 20 boys in the country have died over the past week alone, and the blame is being placed on "botched" circumcisions conducted under the auspices of ceremonious rituals.

The police report came out on Thursday, May 16, according to Reuters.

Regardless of the Northern Mpumalanga province's police department's opening up 22 murder cases viz. the issue at hand, according to spokesman Colonel Leonard Hlathi, no arrests have yet been made.

Circumcisions for boys in South Africa –– ages 10 to 15 –– is an annual ritual for numerous tribes in the country. These "initiation rituals," as Reuters puts it, normally take place over a span of a few weeks, out in remote areas of the landscape.

The trouble being that death can occur when the rituals are not performed correctly by its practitioners. Blood loss and infection can be two major side effects to the ceremonies, particularly those conducted far from proper medical care.

These recent deaths by way of circumcision have this week been referred to as "regrettable" by Minister in the Presidency Collins Chabane.

"This has happened to young people who were still at their prime, looking forward to a brighter future where they could still reach their potential," Minister Chibane said in a statement.

What do you think about the complicated issue of circumcisions taking place in our modern age? Is tradition worth risking death and disease, or should circumcisions be outlawed? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

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