SOUTH AFRICA: Thousands of young maidens take part in an ancient wife-choosing ceremony for their Zulu king who advises them to stay virgins to avoid HIV contamination

Record ID: 459272

  • Title: SOUTH AFRICA: Thousands of young maidens take part in an ancient wife-choosing ceremony for their Zulu king who advises them to stay virgins to avoid HIV contamination
  • Date: 7th September 2002
  • Summary: (L!1) KWAZULU-NATAL, SOUTH AFRICA (RECENT - SEPTEMBER 7, 2002) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF NAKED MAIDENS BY RIVER BATHING AND SINGING GV BARE-CHESTED MAIDENS WALKING FROM RIVER SINGING GV MAIDENS GATHERED TOGETHER AS THEY SING SONGS (SAYING THAT THEY ARE PROUD TO BE VIRGINS) SLV MAIDENS CARRYING BANNER READING "FLOWERS OF THE NATION, FROM CLERMOUT FIGHTING AGAINST HIV AND AIDS" GV/PAN: SENIOR QUEEN LEADING LARGE CIRCLE OF GIRLS (ONE OF THE MIS AN ALBINO) IN SONG AND DANCE BEFORE THE START OF REED CEREMONY MV/ZOOM IN: QUEEN SINGING SV MOTHERS AND TEACHERS OF MAIDENS ULULATING (SOUNDBITE) (English) NOMAGUGU NGOBESE, TEACHER TO MAIDENS/VIRGIN TESTER SAYING: "We are teaching them more to abstain from sex, that is culturally defined - besides that it is relevant - due to what we are experiencing - HIV, AIDS - and at the same time we are teaching that sex is not the only way to live but they must know more about skills." MV BARE-BREASTED MAIDENS BEING SHOWN DIRECTION TO GO (SOUNDBITE) (English) NOMAGUGU NGOBESE, TEACHER TO MAIDENS/VIRGIN TESTER SAYING: "Our women must have a very high esteem - must at the same time - parents come here so that they give support - and we are expecting the Presidents of the future even in women - we are expecting ministers - we are expecting many things because we know that if we teach a woman, we are teaching the Nation" - (Laughter). GV OF GIRLS QUEUING TO PICK UP REEDS MV DAUGHTER OF KING GOODWILL ZWELITHINI PICKING UP A REED MORE OR GIRLS PICKING UP REEDS MV GROUP OF GIRLS HOLDING REEDS AND SINGING - FRONT ROW ARE DAUGHTERS OF THE KING SV GIRLS SINGING AND BLOWING WHISTLES SV TEACHERS TO MAIDENS LOOKING ON VARIOUS OF MAIDENS CARRYING REEDS WALKING TO KINGS KRAAL (2 SHOTS) TRACK BACK: PRINCESS NTOMBIZOSUTHU ZULU LEADING THE MAIDENS SLV KING GOODWILL STANDING WITH CLOSE ADVISORS IN COSTUMES - ZOOM IN: KING GOODWILL - ZOOM IN TO KING GV/PAN: KING'S DAUGHTER CARRYING REED TO PRESENT HIM WITH REED, THEY KISS, KING PLACING REED ON FENCE GVs BARE-BREASTED GIRLS PLACING REEDS ON LARGE RACK (2 SHOTS) SV BARBARA KING, FRIEND OF KING GOODWILL'S FAMILY, WATCHING MV KINGS CLOSE FRIENDS IN TRADITIONAL DRESS (SOUNDBITE) (English) BARBARA KING, FRIEND OF KING GOODWILL, SAYING: "It's a thrill for the girls to be able to come to the Royal Kraal to dance for the king and the visitors - and you can seethe unity amongst them. They are having competitions - dance competitions - later we will see a whole lot more - Its a lovely thing - very vibey." PAN: COSTUMED WARRIORS AS CROWD OF GIRLS IN B/G VARIOUS OF GIRLS SEATED ON GROUND (2 SHOTS) MV WOMEN POLICE STANDING BY GV KING GOODWILL ZWELITHINI STANDING AT PODIUM TO GIVE SPEECH (SOUNDBITE) (English) KING GOODWILL ZWELITHINI, SAYING: "We need to concentrate on our youth, because today we are facing the war of AIDS. We need to fight this war together with our children." CUTAWAY TO QUEENS (4 WOMEN) - WIVES TO KING GOODWILL (SOUNDBITE) (English) KING GOODWILL ZWELITHINI, SAYING: "Despite efforts by myself other leaders and different organisations to educate communities on the prevention of AIDS, and other sexually transmitted diseases, the magnitude of AIDS and its impact in our communities remains big. Once again I would like to take this opportunity of reiterating my appeal to young people - males and females - to abstain from sex until they get married or until they decide to raise their families." WIDE OF GIRLS CLAPPING (SOUNDBITE) (English), UNIDENTIFIED MAIDEN, SAYING: "I'm here to celebrate my virginity and I (am) proud of my virginity and I am here to celebrate with our Nation - Zulu Nation and I am prod of it." (SOUNDBITE) (English), UNIDENTIFIED MAIDEN, SAYING: "We as virgins are proud of ourselves. I know it's hard to be a virgin , but I would like to encourage other girls to do it - it's the only best way to prevent AIDS AND HIV, so I like to tell them that its better to abstain from sex." (SOUNDBITE) (English) PRINCESS NTOMBIZOSUTHU ZULU, DAUGHTER OF THE KING, SAYING: "Basically it's the reed dance - we are all here to show off our womanhood - we are proud of it - that's what it's all about - just celebrating." VARIOUS OF GIRLS DANCING AND SINGING (2 SHOTS)
  • Embargoed: 22nd September 2002 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: KWAZULU-NATAL, SOUTH AFRICA
  • Country: South Africa
  • Topics: Arts,Royalty
  • Reuters ID: LVACK079HDAP5IE23622VIRYAB7H
  • Story Text: Thousands of bare-breasted Zulu girls paraded outside the palace of their king as part of an ancient wife-choosing ceremony. He told them to stay virgins to keep themselves safe from AIDS.
    It's an overcast morning in KwaZulu Natal, and thousands of maidens brave the cold as they prepare themselves for the annual Reed Dance, at the Enyokeni Palace.
    The annual Zulu Reed Dance is a festive ceremony where thousands of Zulu maidens entertain the Zulu King and carry Reeds to the Kings Kraal.
    Nearly 5,000 maidens prepared themselves for a three day ceremony - none wanting to look unclean and unattractive - so they went down to the River Umfolozi, hours before the Reed Dance took place.
    As they prepared themselves, they sang songs they had been practising - songs that tell about how proud they are to be virgins and songs that say they are young and attractive and no one will defile them.
    The eldest of the Kings wives - a role model - joined the girls, to make sure that they are all presentable and that they are ready to celebrate the Reed Dance festival. Her presence is also an encouraging factor for the girls, who want to be as important as her.
    As they practised ahead of carrying the reeds, their mothers, who also play the role of traditional virginity testers, looked on very proud that they had helped mould the girls.
    Nomagugu Ngobese, a mother and traditional virginity tester who brought a bus load of girls to Enyokeni from Durban, said the ceremony played a role in emancipating young girls from traditional roles.
    "We are teaching them more to abstain from sex, that is culturally defined - besides that it is relevant - due to what we are experiencing - HIV, AIDS - and at the same time we are teaching that sex is not the only way to live but they must know more about skills," said Nomagugu Ngobese.
    Far from reinforcing stereotyped subjugation, the parade raised girls self esteem and enabled them to make their own choices in life, she said as the girls lined up to collect their freshly cut reeds, which are used to line the fence surrounding the royal compound.
    "Our women must have a very high esteem - must at the same time - parents come here so that they give support - and we are expecting the Presidents of the future even in women - we are expecting ministers - we are expecting many things because we know that if we teach a woman, we are teaching the Nation,"
    said Ngobese as she chuckled with laughter.
    The reed dance is one of the most important festivals in the Zulu culture, as it helps girls to come together and get that sense of belonging.
    After their morning practice, the girls mostly aged between 10 and 18 carried 15-foot (five metre) long reeds from the Umfolozi river up to the Enyokeni Royal Palace. Dressed only in beads and tiny coloured skirts or loin cloths, they danced and sang songs in praise of their king and sexual abstinence -- traditional for single Zulu women.
    The King and his subjects meet the girls as they arrive at the Kraal.
    The group is led by one of the Kings daughters - the leader having to wear the inyongo on the head - the gall bladder of an animal which has been sacrificed. This is a symbol of purity.
    The Royal Reed dance was once a chance for the head of South Africa's largest tribe to pick new wives from his assembled subjects, but lately King Goodwill Zwelithini has used the occasion to address his subjects on morality and development.
    Draped in the skin of a leopard, Zwelithini called on around 5,000 Zulu maidens on Saturday (September 7) to abstain from pre-marital sex and to use contraception to halt the spread of HIV/AIDS amongst his people.
    "We need to concentrate on our youth, because today we are facing the war of AIDS. We need to fight this war together with our children," said King Goodwill Zwelithini, after a royal praise-caller had introduced him to the arrayed girls, with a shouted litany of his and his ancestors great deeds.
    "Despite efforts by myself other leaders and different organisations to educate communities on the prevention of AIDS, and other sexually transmitted diseases, the magnitude of AIDS and its impact in our communities remains big. Once again I would like to take this opportunity of reiterating my appeal to young people - males and females - to abstain from sex until they get married or until they decide to raise their families," said the King.
    He had earlier spoken about how the Zulu Nation ought to be proud of the virgin girls.
    South Africa's youth are plagued by an HIV/AIDS epidemic that has swept through the population. One in nine of the country's population of around 43 million carry the HIV virus, making it one of the worst affected in the world.
    Zwelithini, who counts among his ancestors the great Zulu nation-builder Shaka, and Dingaan -- who fought the British army in the nineteenth century -- called for a revival of the traditions and culture of the tribe, once the most powerful in Southern Africa.
    The king is the titular ruler of the six million-strong tribe. His uncle, Mangosuthu Buthelezi, claims the post of traditional prime minister, and leads the opposition Inkatha party to represent the Zulus in national politics.
    "I am here to celebrate my virginity and I (am) proud of my virginity and I am here to celebrate with our Nation - Zulu Nation and I am proud of it," said one maiden after the king's greetings.
    "We as virgins are proud of ourselves. I know its hard to be a virgin , but I would like to encourage other girls to do it - its the only best way to prevent AIDS AND HIV, so I like to tell them that its better to abstain from sex," said another girl.
    "Basically its the reed dance - we are all here to show off our womanhood - we are prod of it - that's what its all about - just celebrating," said Princess Ntombizosuthu Zulu.
    The spread of HIV/AIDS and other associated problems, such as drugs and promiscuity, reinforced the need for traditional values and unity, Zwelithini said.
    He added that the ceremony was no longer arranged to facilitate his future nuptials, but was a chance for the young women of the Zulu nation to greet their king.
    Zwelithini, who celebrated three decades of power this year, also called for Africans to launch a drive for self-sufficiency and stand on their own feet independent of foreign aid.
    He said farmers should grow more crops to produce both money and food, and drive away a threat of famine that currently hangs over much of Southern Africa.
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