In the wake of Women’s Month and the Royal Reed Dance which took place over the weekend, Acting Mayor, Mncedisi Maphisa, has a strong message for the community, especially the men of AbaQulusi.
“Violence against women is a national issue,” he said sternly. “It is also an issue that we, as men and leaders, must not tolerate.”
Cllr Maphisa, in reference to the Reed Dance, extended his gratitude to all who made it possible for around 2 000 Zulu maidens from across the 22 wards of AbaQulusi to participate in the annual celebration, which promotes virginity and purity.
“Firstly, we would like to thank the parents of these Zulu maidens for entrusting us with their safety, especially in the wake of the Pomeroy tragedy, where seven young maidens lost their lives… in August this year. We assure you this is a responsibility that is not taken lightly.”
Cllr Maphisa added that personally, “I would like to thank and extend my appreciation to the facilitators of the event and the mentors who took care of the maidens, and moving forward, we look forward to improving our working relationship with them even further. I would also like to extend my thanks to the staff of our Community Services Department at AbaQulusi Municipality, as well as TS Mthembu, who along with Zizile Nxumalo, was very hands on in the preparation of the event.”
Every year, thousands of young Zulu maidens gather for the Reed Dance – a celebration of virginity and tradition.
With the connection between this traditional gathering of women and the scourge of gender-based violence at the forefront of his mind, Cllr Maphisa’s tone deepened slightly as he offered his stern advice to the men of the community. “God created man to provide and care for women. He took the rib from the first man and used it to fashion the first woman. From our own rib, He gave us women to love and to care for, to shield and protect them. An act of violence against women is therefore an act of violence against God Himself.” Cllr Maphisa appealed to men of AbaQulusi and South Africa as a whole to preach the gospel of goodwill, and to fight against the abuse of women and children.
“We cannot have a fully-fledged life as men, unless our women and children are protected. We must take a stand for their well-being and safety; we must join hands as men of faith and deal with our anger issues and resolve them before we take them out on the innocent. As a man, always try your best to have someone to confide in and a mentor to guide you along the right path.”
Cllr Maphisa smiled as he explained his personal stance on the matter, thanking his fiancé, Nonkululeko Nkwanyana for her support and stated that as a man with a beautiful baby daughter and a loving and supportive partner, he pledged to lead by example when it came to the fight against women and child abuse.
“We appreciate the way amadoda eFilidi are conducting themselves,” he concluded. “We implore you to stand up for your women, for all women and children and bring an end to the violence. Thank you.”
View a gallery of photos from the Royal Reed Dance below…
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