ABOUT 90 000 MAIDENS REGISTER

LUDZIDZINI – About 90 000 maidens have registered for the Umhlanga ceremony and it is anticipated that more are yet to register.

This was confirmed by Imbali Leader Nonduduzo Zubuko during the registration of the Imbali regiment at Ludzidzini Royal Residence yesterday. This is the number which was recorded at about 7pm yesterday.

Despite the fact that the figures were slightly below those of last year, which was about 120 000, the leader stated that she was anticipating a higher number as some girls were still coming to register.

Higher

“They are a significant number and we expect to record a higher figure because they are still coming in,” Zubuko said. When this reporter arrived at the royal residence in the afternoon, the throngs of maidens were clad in their different colourful emahiya regalia. They were bursting in song as they entered the enclosure, dancing. This marked the first day of the Reed Dance ceremony.

As the girls from different chiefdoms gathered to celebrate the Reed Dance ceremony, they seemed to be in a jubilant mood.
A group of maidens from Luve, who were being ferried from the Manzini Region to Ludzidzini Royal Residence, shared their expectations with this reporter. They pointed out that they were ecstatic about the ceremony and were anticipating a lot of fun for the duration of the event.

Among the girls, elderly women were also present as they came in handy in assisting them through looking after their belongings, accompanying them to ensure they donned their attire properly and making sure that they were well taken care of.

Virginity

One of the elderly women was Make Mkhatshwa from Maseyiseyini, who expressed the value of the Umhlanga ceremony. “The importance of this ceremony is that it helps the girl child value her virginity and know her culture. Also self-respect will be a moral value that they adapt through Umhlanga and they get to know the roots of Eswatini.”

 Meanwhile, Imbali Foundation made a donation of E100 000 which was inclusive of T-shirts and jackets, to the Queen Mother. The donation was made by MTN Foundation Board Chairperson Busi Mazibuko, who said the clothing would be enough for all the maidens who would take part in the ceremony. In the same vein, Senate Deputy President Ndumiso Mdluli and Senator Tony Sibandze made a donation of 500 bottles of water each.

The Queen Mother expressed her gratitude for the kind gesture made by the donors. She highlighted that the donations would go a long way as the maidens would dress colourfully in their T-shirts and jackets. She reiterated that the bottled water would also assist in hydrating the girls as they would sweat from the long distances when they travelled.

Post your comment

Your name:

Your e-mail address:

Add your comments:

Please enter the code you see in the image:

Image:

Code: