Maidens set off for Royal Reed Dance

UMDONI Municipality held a special prayer and send-off last Friday for maidens heading to the Royal Reed Dance at Enyokeni Royal Palace at KwaNongoma.

The Reed Dance celebrates the value of sexual purity before marriage and is, according to Prince Mangosothu Buthelezi, “A fundamental weapon in the battle against HIV/Aids”.

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Knowledge and information was crucial, he said, but added that “values and a sense of personal responsibility were just as important.”

Three hundred maidens from this area prepared for months before heading to the royal palace.

The girls gave municipal staff and guests a glimpse of their performance at the farewell ceremony held in the Umzinto Town Hall.

Traditionally, the girls are bare-breasted and adorned with beaded frontal aprons, head bands and belts for their skirts.

In the past, the ceremony had been blighted by the death of several young girls while travelling to the palace.

“All vehicles transporting our maidens went through thorough safety tests and were approved by the Umdoni Traffic Department,” said Umdoni Municipality communications officer, Zime Gcaba.

The Inkatha Freedom Party said it was upsetting that this year’s Reed Dance was to take place under the shadow of violence against women and children.

The party added that they cannot meet without speaking against “this evil”, which it said was taking the lives of those whom they were tasked to protect.

Prince Buthelezi said that it was through ceremonies like the Reed Dance that people “were bound together reviving the spirit of unity and Ubuntu”.

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