Xhosa maidens join the Reed Dance in KZN

Xhosa maidens from Yabantu village, located near Hartbeespoort Dam in North-West, have joined thousands of maidens at this year's Reed Dance in KwaZulu-Natal. The annual event, held at eMashobeni Royal Palace in uPhongolo, has attracted over 30 000 maidens from various communities across South Africa.

The Reed Dance, known as Umkhosi Womhlanga, serves to honor the tradition and celebrate Zulu culture. The Xhosa maidens participating in this year's event emphasize that their presence is rooted in promoting African unity, love, and harmony. They assert that as Nguni people, they share values and traditions that bind them together.

One of the Xhosa maidens participating in the Reed Dance expressed her motivation for attending, stating, “I’m here for the Reed Dance, I’m here to experience the Zulu culture and also to learn more about this heritage and its maintenance.” They further added, “To the maidens, all I can say is that they must continue being virgins, it is a good thing.”