Traditional leaders and initiation counselors have been warned to desist from picking young boys for initiation ceremonies in the course of the new school calendar which started on Monday, 7th of September 2015 in Balaka district.

The warning comes amid reports that some children were still in initiation camps with just a few days remaining before the commencement of the new academic year.

Child Protection Officer for Balaka Police Station, Sergeant Elias Sungani, has asked Traditional leaders and initiation counselors to respect the warning.

“We said random interviews in the district have shown that children are still in initiation camps. We are therefore calling for the release of these children because keeping them in initiation camps till school period is an infringement to their right to education as stipulated in the Republican Constitution”, warned Sungani.

Sungani noted that last year, children were kept in initiation camps a week after School opened in district and it took the courage of some duty bearers to force them out. He however commended the traditional leaders for ensuring that this year children were not held in camps when schools opened.

“This year Police in the district did not register any case to do with forced circumcision unlike last year when the district registered five cases of forced circumcision,” commended Sungani.

Balaka is one of the districts where initiation ceremonies for young children are conducted regularly.