S.African women to defy criticism and dance for Zulu king


Every September, tens of thousands of women, known locally as maidens, descend on the royal palace in the mountain town of Nongoma in the southeast KwaZulu-Natal province, to perform a reed dance.

During the ceremony, each girl will present a tall reed to the new king which, legend has it, will wilt if the holder is not a virgin.

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

The newly crowned head of South Africa's largest ethnic group is the 47-year-old King MisuZulu Zulu, also known by his official title as MisuZulu kaZwelithini.

He 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.
Prior to the dance, the participants will have their genitalia inspected, a practice condemned by rights advocates who say it is demeaning and an invasion of privacy.

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