Girls celebrate their virginity

“The benefit of abstinence is less stress and more dignity,” said Ms Ntompiyenkosi Mtshali, 31-year-old woman who is still a virgin.

Ms Mtshali is a member of the Amatshitshi Empela virgin group in Rabie Ridge, next to Tembisa.

The Amatshitshi Empela virgin group participated in the yearly KwaZulu-Natal Reed Dance ceremony, which was held on September 6.

Ms Mtshali said she met with Amatshitshi four years ago and wanted to stay a virgin until God showed her the man she would spend the rest of her life with.

“God can make one single and content. Not every women is marriage material. With my virginity, I just want to let God play His role in my life. I glory Him with my body as it is His temple,”she told The Tembisan.

She said her faith plays an important role in her life, as she relies on God to keep her a virgin.

“Christian people limit themselves to many things and maintain life by an example. Being limited helps one not end up doing things because of peer pressure. And it all requires discipline,” she said.

The founder of the Amatshitshi Empela virgin group, Ms Gladys Sangweni, urged parents to bring their girls, regardless of race or culture, to join the group.

Ms Sangweni was a virgin when she married at the age of 28. She formed the group in 2003.

Ms Sangweni said she grew up being checked every month. For her to start the group, she realised that young girls need to be supported and be taken care of, while still virgins.

“We want to groom wives, not women. A women is anybody but a wife is under rules. We want to create a pure nation and pass the experience on to our children. All of my girls speak the same language, abstinence. No one came here to make their parents proud. They came here to be proud of themselves. We encourage the girls to take pride in themselves. If a girl is involved in sexual intercourse, we excuse her from our group,” she added.

Ms Sangweni has a group of 34 girls who are virgins.

She checks them once a month. Her daughter, 23-year-old Sfiso Sangweni, is a virgin, and she said she enjoys being a virgin.

She added that some residents in the community appreciate them as virgins.

“They encourage us to stay pure until we get married,” said Sfiso.

Sfiso runs a small business and enjoys it.

“These are the benefits of being a virgin. You grow old with no big responsibilities or stresses. Life runs smoothly for you,” she said.

She urged teenagers to stop abandoning their babies and to never give up their lives.

“God has a plan for each and every one of us. People should not doubt Him, not even for a single second,” she added.

The Amatshitshi Empela virgin group engages in activities such as cultural dances, bead work and singing.

For more information, contact Ms Gladys Sangweni on 076 372 6393 or 072 508 5364.