Mandeni reed dance virgin allegedly sold to rapist for R1000

A 10-year-old Mandeni girl was repeatedly raped after her aunt allegedly pimped her out to a man who offered to pay R1000 for a virgin who had been tested at the Reed Dance.

The Zulu King’s annual Reed Dance (uMkhosi woMhlanga) is attended by thousands of young women every year in September and includes traditional virginity testing. Only virgins are allowed to take part.

The child’s mother (32), surrounded by supporters – including the girl’s friends fellow maidens – shared the tragic story with the Courier outside the KwaDukuza magistrate court on Monday.

They were there to support the family as the alleged rapist was appearing in court. The case was postponed until November 11.

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“My daughter was staying with my sister at KwaHlomendlini, Mandeni, while I was working in Durban. On Saturday, August 10, she told my mother who was also at home on that day, that she was going to see our neighbour. However, when they got by the standpipe, she told my girl to go to the shop and when she returned, her aunt was not there, but a man was waiting for her. He covered her head with a polo neck and took her to a construction site,” said the mother, whose identity cannot be revealed in order to protect the identity of her daughter.

It is alleged that he tried to rape her there but she screamed so he took her to his house, where he repeatedly raped and assaulted her. Her screams brought a concerned neighbour to the house but the man allegedly blamed the noise on a movie he claimed to have been watching.

“When the man was done raping my child she managed to escape through an open window and ran away screaming for help.

“When my sister was later questioned by the family, she confessed that she had planned to hand over the girl to be raped. She said the man had promised to pay her R1000 if she gave him a girl who was still a virgin and had attended the reed dance,” said the mother. She expressed her gratitude to the residents, including her daughter’s peers, who attended the court and had rallied behind her family since the horrific violation of her daughter.

Whether the aunt would be prosecuted had not been confirmed at the time of going to print.

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