BOPHELONG. – In a world where many young people have abandoned a love for their culture, 19-year-old Nqobile Molaba from Bophelong is a breath of fresh air, and an example to her peers.
Scores of people brought Molaba’s street to a standstill over the weekend – filling the township air with much ululation and traditional songs while happily dancing [ukusina].
The multitudes had come to celebrate Molaba’s coming of age.
Dozens of neighbours and onlookers descended onto Molaba’s family home to gaze in awe as almost one hundred izintombi [Zulu term for virgins] ushered Molaba to her umhlonyane ceremony.
Umhlonyane is a traditional ceremony done by the Zulu people for girls when they reach the stage of womanhood.
The ceremony is usually done when a girl reaches puberty, with the intention of teaching and advising her about womanhood.
Speaking to Sedibeng Ster, Thando Sibiya-Nkosi, a member of Ilitha lamagqina, a group based in Sedibeng initiating girls to become women, explained the festivities and shared her reaction on a successful umgidi (ceremony) hosted for Molaba.
“We are here to celebrate Nqobile’s ceremony for coming of age. We stayed a week-long with this young lady ‘emngonqweni’ until the last rituals of her rite of passage,” she said.
Sibiya-Nkosi said she was excited to celebrate the completion of Molaba’s journey.
“Everything went well, and we are happy with how the ceremony proceeded. This is not very popular in our communities, and seeing young women dedicated to preserving their virginity really warms our hearts,” she said.
In an interview, Molaba said: “I am very happy because I never thought this day would come. Deciding to be a virgin in the society we are raised in remains a taboo. I am proud that I completed my journey and am now starting another of becoming a woman.”
I decided to preserve my virginity (despite living) in a country where sexual intercourse is a fashion, she said.
“We are raised in communities where peers pressure one another when it comes to sexual intercourse. I want to make myself and my family proud by preserving my virginity until I first finish my studies and prove that life without sex is possible,” the teen said.
Sharing a piece of expert advice on the hardships of becoming a virgin, Molaba said: “I would advise my peers not to allow themselves to be controlled by peer pressure of going to grooves. Instead of being pressured for grooves, allow being pressured to becoming an intombi. There is more to enjoy when undergoing the journey of ubuntomibi, like meeting with other girls from different groups and sharing advice (about life). There are also fun activities like conducting singing and dancing festivities to be enjoyed with fellow virgins.”
“I would advise young girls to follow this route to know their roots of being intombi and knowing that life doesn’t revolve around boys,” she said.
Several virgin groups from Ratanda, among other areas, came out in their numbers to celebrate with Molaba.
