By Dylan Bettencourt
- King Misuzulu officially got engaged to Princess Sihle Mdluli during the main Reed Dance at Ludzidzini Palace yesterday.
- Young women held prayers in Durban for maiden safety after recent attacks on virgins travelling to traditional ceremonies.
King Misuzulu kaZwelithini officially got engaged to Princess Sihle Mdluli. The engagement happened during the main day of the Reed Dance at Ludzidzini Palace.
Thousands of young maidens attended the ceremony. Princess Sihle danced proudly before the king and honoured guests. Former president Jacob Zuma was there to see the moment.
King Mswati III and other royal guests celebrated by joining in kudlalisela. This is a traditional dance to honour the maidens.
But while royals celebrated, young women in Durban held a different kind of gathering. They lit candles and prayed for their safety at Albert Park.
The group also remembered girls who have been raped or killed on their way to such events. The rise in attacks on virgins pushed these girls to gather ahead of the Sibuyisa Isintu Ingoma Festival.
The festival runs from 18 to 20 September in Mandeni.
Organiser Brighton Shandu said the gathering was filled with grief. They honoured girls whose “purity was stolen without consent”.
He reminded the group that several teachers and traditional leaders are in court facing rape charges. Among them is the chief of the Bhidla nation, accused of raping an 18-year-old. A Limpopo principal allegedly raped a 17-year-old pupil.
The girls also mourned those who died in accidents while travelling from the Reed Dance in previous years.
Pictured above: King Misuzulu kaZwelithini with King Mswati and Jacob Zuma at the traditional ceremony.
Image source: @EswatiniGovern1
