Maidens preparing for the annual Reed Dance ceremony in KwaZulu-Natal at the weekend, say they celebrate their virginity at a time when the province is struggling with a high number of teen pregnancies.
Girls and women between the ages of 15 and 24 also registers the highest number of new HIV infections of all age groups.
The Reed Dance – also known as Umkhosi Womhlanga – takes place every September at the Enyokeni royal palace at Nongoma.
It is expected to attract thousands of maidens from across the province and beyond.
KwaZulu-Natal Health MEC – Nomagugu Simelane – says between April and December of last year the province recorded over 26-thousand ten pregnancies – with over 1-thousand 200 of these girls being between the ages of 10 and 14.
Against this backdrop maidens taking part in the Reed Dance attend camps throughout the year where older women called minders, teach them about the importance of abstaining from sex before marriage.
Maidens undergo a virginity test before attending the Reed Dance. The reeds they present to the AmaZulu king are both a sign of the maidens’ purity, as well as strength.
A group of maidens took part in an event in Richards Bay in the run-up to the festival.
Some of the girls at the events said being a maiden is nowadays also a way to avoid contracting sexually transmitted diseases – including HIV. “it’s important because it protects us from not getting sexually transmitted diseases like hiv and aids it also prevents us from teenage pregnancy because that destroys our future.”
Some of the maidens say some people question the tradition, but they want to prove that they are proud of being virgins.
Another maiden says “Theren’t many virgins in this day and age. we should be protected by the community but now you find that very same community persecuting us for our choice of being virgins and attending the reed dance instead of them encouraging us on our journey.”
The maiden minders say their role includes being on the lookout for sexual abuse. “What led us to look after maidens is that some of them grow up without parents. So we took that initiative to be parents to them because in the end they will be used by men and they will not have anyone to confide in that’s why we stepped in so they’ll have parent figures near them. “
One of the maidens also added their voice. “What’s important is that when we say they should preserve themselves were speaking about this holistically not just being a virgin because we educate them about life and build their self-esteem and what’s important to them.”
A member of the AmaZulu royal family – Queen Nompumelelo Mchiza – encourages young virgins to be proud of their heritage. “I ask one thing from you maidens: let us be patriots. We must be proud of what and who we are. We must preserve the little that we have. the maidens that you are today preserve it don’t give it to anyone be responsible for yourselves.”
The Reed Dance festival starts on Friday. Maidens will present their reeds to king Misuzulu kaZwelithini on Saturday.
