Lebollo la banna
This practice is primarily found among Basotho men in Lesotho, the Free State and some parts of the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa.
Despite much criticism directed towards lebollo, there is an increase in the number of boys attending traditional initiation schools in post-apartheid South Africa.
This is argued to be due to the resurgence of young men's respect for traditional authority as well as the government support of research reporting reduced risk of HIV infection when circumcised.
[1]Traditional Basotho initiation schools are conducted over a period of time (varying from a few weeks to six months) in secluded areas away from settlements,[2] which are often referred to as "the bush" or "the mountain".
Traditional initiation teachers, known as basuwe in Sesotho, are commonly elderly men with substantial economic, political, and social standing within Basotho communities.
With Basotho societies being colonised by settlers in the 1800s, the new colonial government set laws to regulate and restrict the time and location of the practice.
Basotho chiefs such as Kgama, Sebele, Lentswe, and Bathoeng were praised for having been loyal to the laws of the colonial government's administrative High Commissioner on initiation.
Males who were over the age of 24 were referred to as batlankana as they had passed adolescence and were ready to uphold their family social responsibilities according to customs and traditions.
Changes to the age of initiates are influenced by migration patterns of adult males leaving their homestead to work in cities or mines and South African laws that require children to attend school.
Initiates are also taught to compose praises and songs to their chiefs and to themselves, the proper expression or articulation of which constitutes the important adult (male) quality of eloquence, bokheleke.
The texts of praise poems (lithoko) refer to a wide range of phenomena, including historical occurrences where former Basotho chiefs featured, and significant experiences in the life of the initiates.
After completing their training, The initiates arrive at their villages smeared with Letsoku (red ochre) and covered in traditional Basotho blankets while surrounded by men and elders, where they are given a new set of clothes.
Proponents of lebolla believe that the practice produces good moral values in boys and men, and contributes to society by creating responsible law-abiding citizens.
The newly initiated, who are seen as men by the larger traditional society, are still seen as boys by the formal education system which means that the status of manhood granted by the ritual is situational.
Additionally the initiate is expected to be brave, prove to be a responsible male adult, respect other people, have self-respect and self-discipline, be independent, and abide by laws.
