FGM And Culture In South Africa

Unlike its neighbouring countries, South Africa is not classified as a high-risk zone.  However, that doesn’t paint the whole picture, reports indicate FGM exists within specific communities, especially the immigrants from Northeast Asia. While there are no definitive national statistics, research indicate isolated cases concentrated in specific communities: like Venda people, Indian communities, Southern Ndebele people, and immigrant populations coming from countries with high FGM rates. These communities practice type 3 form of FGM, which is the most severe, involving infibulation.

Female genital mutilation (FGM) is one of the cultural practises embedded amongst the Venda community of north-east of South Africa. Eight weeks or less after childbirth, Venda women undergo a traditional ceremony called muthuso. Muthuso is a process of cutting the vaginal flesh of the mother by a traditional healer. The flesh is mixed with black powder and oil and applied on the child’s head to prevent goni. Goni has been described as a swelling on the back of a child’s head. The Venda people believe that goni can only be cured using the vaginal flesh of the child’s mother. Women who experienced FGM stated that they bleed excessively after the ceremony. Moreover, the women stated that there is no postnatal care in Venda. Consequently, the women use traditional medicine and sometimes this leads to death because of substandard treatment.

Vendas also practises FGM as initiation for girls into womanhood. The girls reside in a ‘nonyana’ hut for 24 hours until an appointed day when an old woman performs the clitoris cutting by the river banks.  The girls are branded with a mark on their thighs as evidence of having attended initiation.