South Africa’s new Zulu king on Saturday celebrated thousands of young women at a colourful traditional rite of womanhood, defying a row over the legitimacy of the royal succession.

At a stadium nestled between mountains in Nongoma town, the birthplace of South Africa’s ethnic Zulu group, bare-breasted young women ululated and cheered as their new king addressed them.

The young women wearing traditional beads on the neck, waist and the head, kicked off a day of festivities, presenting reeds and filing past the newly-crowned Zulu king MisuZulu Zulu.

The King emerged from a tight circle of Zulu warriors to accept his first ever reed as the new monarch, smiling as the crowd chanted in praise.

Every September — the start of southern hemisphere spring — thousands of women, known locally as maidens, participate in the “reed dance” in KwaZulu-Natal province


The ceremony is a traditional rite of womanhood, rooted historically in an occasion when the king would select new wives from among his subjects.

The 47-year-old new head of South Africa’s largest ethnic group was recognised as monarch at a traditional ceremony last month following the death last year of his father King Goodwill Zwelithini, who had reigned for 50 years.

It is the first time the dance is taking place since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, and MisuZulu’s first time presiding over the reed dance.

Dressed in a leopard skin shawl, the king smiled confidently throughout the ceremony and his speech which was punctuated with bursts of laughter.


https://www.thesouthafrican.com/lifestyle/celeb-news/zulu-king-misuzulu-first-reed-dance-zulu-nation-south-africa-tradition-dance-ceremony-breaking-18-september-2022/


Umkhosi Womhlanga, as it is known to the Zulu nation, celebrates a young girl’s purity while preparing her for womanhood. The importance also lies in the promotion of celibacy before marriage.

The maidens are made to undergo virginity test before the reed dance, it is strongly adhered in Zulu tradition that if a maiden carrying the reed is no longer a virgin, the reed breaks.

When are we going to adopt this tradition into Nigeria.

spearman:
When are we going to adopt this tradition into Nigeria.

so you want us to adopt this primitive tradition in Nigeria? Try this in Nigeria and Oni of Ife and Olowu of Owu will finish all your virgin daughters.

Which kain tradition be this?

Hmm. Archaic

This King go dey chop free and fresh puna on a steady. One of the perks of royalty I guess.