Lebollo la basadi also known as female initiation among the Basotho is a rite of passage ritual which marks the transition of girls into womanhood.
This activity is still practiced in the Free State, Mpumalanga, Eastern Cape and KwaZulu Natal provinces of South Africa.
The Basotho rite of passage ritual, unlike other practices in Africa, does not involve procedures which remove parts of the female genital organ.
The rite of passage of lebollo commonly occurs in rural areas where the Basotho are more traditionally oriented.
It occurs on farms and small villages where the resources and environment aid in creating the setting for the rituals.
Areas with a higher incidence of female initiation include Ficksburg and Clocolan in the Free State as well as in Butha-Buthe and Mphosong in Lesotho.
[1] Basotho female initiation schools are planned to correspond with the rising of the full moon.
Some schools take place in October however, many participate in December which allows for scholars to attend during their holiday.
The incidence of a girl's first menses, ‘menarche’, is regarded as a positive indication for physical and spiritual readiness for initiation school attendance.
Additional local traditional doctors are sometimes asked to oversee the process however, their presence is not essential.
Promoters usually devote their entire lives to facilitating initiation schools and become more sought after with more years of experience.
[3] Initiation includes rituals or ceremonies that serve to admit the individual into a certain position in society.
This was criticized by some scholars such as Gallo, Marian Koster MSc and Dr. Lisa Price of Wageningen University, Netherlands as they believed it should be classified as ‘ethnic genital modification’.
Some girls have been known to tie a piece of string to the labia and attached a small stone to assist in the pulling and others have been known to use the incorrect herbs resulting in rashes.
The girl is also given a veil as well as a grass or reed hoop which grows along the river banks called ‘dikgolokwane’ to wear around the waist.
The girl leaves the initiation school wearing an elegant cowhide dress, beads, ornaments, new blankets, colourful towels and red-ochre.