Uneasy reaction to paid circumcisions
Lindiwe Mozola | Wednesday October 21, 2015 16:22
The campaign, as reported in The Monitor earlier this week, is being carried out on behalf of the Centre for Disease Control (CDC.
In a snap survey conducted by Mmegi yesterday, some people questioned the wisdom of the initiative, saying it was sending a wrong message about the SMC programme.
Members of the public argued that it was unethical to reward someone for facilitating the cutting off of somebody else’s foreskin.
Lebani Mokalake (32) said that it feels wrong to reward people in exchange for someone’s foreskin and he questioned what would happen once the campaign comes to an end.
“Do they think that men will continue submitting themselves for circumcision? They are going to expect something in return as well, if at all people are to be paid to bring them forward for circumcision, this will kill the sustainability of the programme and its good intentions,” he said.
Donald Tsebetsebe (25), a taxi driver, believes that if they want to reward people it should be those who are getting circumcised because they are the ones that go through a lot of pain.
Ketshabileone Modisaotsile (42) said that some irresponsible parents are going to take advantage of the money provided and force their children to be circumcised for the quick cash. And this will be wrong, he said, as the whole programme is not to force someone but rather make them aware of the benefits of SMC.
Mmaphula East councillor Mphoentle Kabelo shared the same sentiments, saying people need to be educated on safe male circumcision first if CDC is to reach its target.
He indicated that human beings are not like animals. “You cannot just push them to be circumcised only because you can pay those that recruited them unless they employ the mobilising teams that go door to door educating people.
“That is the only way they can reach their target not by paying anyone who just brings somebody and if that’s the case the move is very wrong and cannot bear any fruits,” said Kabelo.
He noted that this is a very important programme that seeks to fight HIV/AIDS and new infections, which needs to be supported by the community, and as such the community needs to take ownership of it. “By so doing CDC need to engage community based organisations as well as youth groups so that they mobilise men on their behalf,” he added.
Responding to the criticism they received from the public about their arrangement, Dr Robert Manda of CDC explained that the remuneration is intended to assist those who mobilise members with transport, airtime and other resources that they are going to need.
“It is not reward as such. We are going to engage teams that will go around mobilising members on our behalf therefore the money given is to assist them when they go around educating people about SMC, in the process winning members to be circumcised,” said Manda.