Times Of Swaziland: KING SUMMONS  IMBALI, UMHLANGA HOLIDAY ANNOUNCED

KING SUMMONS  IMBALI, UMHLANGA HOLIDAY ANNOUNCED
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Sibusiso Shange on 16/08/2024 08:44:00


MBABANE - His Majesty King Mswati III has summoned Imbali for this year’s
annual Reed Dance ceremony, starting with registration on August 27, 2024.
Conveying the King’s message at Ludzidzini Royal Residence yesterday,
Inkhosatana yeMbali Princess Sakhizwe, said the young girls will be commissioned
to fetch the reed on August 28, 2024. She said the reed will be cut on August
29, 2024 and brought back to Ludzidzini Royal Residence on August 30, 2024.
On August 31, 2024, she said the maidens will take a break in preparation for
the delivery of the reed on September 1, 2024. She said the maidens will dance
before Their Majesties and the entire world on September 2, 2024. The King urged
chiefs (tikhulu) to assign two women and four men to look after the maidens
during the course of the event.  He warned chiefs against commissioning
children, as they would not be able to travel long distances due to the scarcity
of the reed.  The King also reminded men to sleep separately from women and
Imbali during the course of the event.  Princess Sakhizwe was flanked by Acting
Minister of Home Affairs Jane Simelane, who declared September 2, 2024 a public
holiday.
Simelane said the holiday is aimed at affording emaSwati the opportunity to
support and cheer the girl child. She urged emaSwati to attend the event in
numbers.  Also present were former tindvuna and Acting Imbali Overseer
Hlangabeza Mdluli, Director of Culture and Traditional Affairs Prince Bukhosi
and Lutsango. The Reed Dance is one of the country’s prestigious events, where
the girl child celebrates chastity before Their Majesties. The event aims to
encourage the girl child to preserve purity and focus on education until the
allotted time for marriage. Some parts of South Africa value the culture, so
much that girls are taken for virginity tests in order to qualify for the event,
among other benefits. The reed is used to build enclosures (emaguma) at royal
residences across the country. Apart from Umhlanga, Eswatini uses Umcwasho as
another way to encourage men to stay away from the girl child.