SOUTH AFRICA: Thousands of Zulu virgins celebrate their purity in a South African province worst hit by the HIV/AIDS pandemic

Record ID: 457537

  • Title: SOUTH AFRICA: Thousands of Zulu virgins celebrate their purity in a South African province worst hit by the HIV/AIDS pandemic
  • Date: 11th September 2006
  • Summary: (BN17) KWANONGOMA, SOUTH AFRICA (SEPTEMBER 9, 2006) (REUTERS) THOUSANDS OF ZULU MAIDENS ARRIVING AT THE ROYAL PALACE VIRGINS SINGING AND DANCING ZULU WOMAN WATCHING MORE OF THE VIRGINS (SOUNDBITE) (ENGLISH) ZULU VIRGIN ZINHLE DLAMINI SAYING: "Everybody knows that it is a sin to engage in sexual activities before getting married, so we are also doing that in a spiritual way
  • Embargoed: 26th September 2006 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: South Africa
  • Country: South Africa
  • Topics: Health,Lifestyle
  • Reuters ID: LVA62B5RNWV7FEFV6L80NIA1YCWN
  • Story Text: Tens of thousands of Zulu maidens gathered at Nongoma on Saturday (September 9) for the annual Royal Reed Dance, vowing to continue going for virginity testing.
    This is in defiance of the government's move to ban the age-old practice of the Zulu nation.
    The maidens made the declaration during the main address by Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini at his Enyokeni Royal Palace in northern KwaZulu-Natal.
    The King lambasted the government for its controversial Children's Bill which outlaws virginity testing.
    The Bill was approved by the national assembly and now awaits the approval of the National Council of Provinces before becoming law.
    King Goodwill asked the virgins if they were forced to undergo virginity testing, they responded with a resounding "No!".
    The Reed Dance is also a celebration of the Zulu nation and performs the essential role of unifying nation and the king, who presides over the ceremony.
    The festival takes its name from the riverbed reeds, which are the central focus of this four-day event.
    The reed-sticks are carried in a procession by thousands of young maidens who are invited to the King's palace each year.
    More than 10 000 maidens, from various communities throughout the province of KwaZulu- Natal, take part in the Reed Dance ceremony, with the rest of the Zulu nation helping them to celebrate their preparation for womanhood.
    In recent times, however, the King has fittingly used the Reed Dance festival as an opportunity to educate the Zulu nation, and particularly the youth, focusing on vital social issues such as practicing sexual morals and behaviours which prevent teenage pregnancy and lower the risk of contracting HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases.
    There were currently an estimated 5.54 million HIV-positive South Africans, about 11.6 percent of the population.
    On the impact of Aids on South Africa's economy, experts say recent data from the University of Stellenbosch suggested that by 2010, the reduction in GDP growth might be 0.4 percent as a result of the epidemic.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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