‘Demons’ interrupt royal reed festival

THE Zulu Royal Reed Ceremony was interrupted on Saturday when maidens, claiming they were being attacked by demons, moved towards the main stage during King Goodwil Zwelithini’s speech.

President Jacob Zulma, who shared the stage with Zwelithini, was evacuated by bodyguards as a safety precaution, but returned later when calm had been restored.

King Zwelithini said that some of the maidens arrived at the ceremony with evil spirits to spoil the event.

It is understood that the maidens had already started hallucinating on Friday.

KwaZulu-Natal Department of Arts and Culture spokesman Mluleki Mtungwa said some maidens were admitted to the Benedictine Hospital in Nongoma, while others were taken to the Osuthu Clinic outside the palace.

More than 40 000 maidens participated in the event.

The event started after noon on Saturday and the King only delivered his speech at about 7pm to an almost empty soccer field.

Dressed in traditional attire, the maidens returned to their buses and tents to find shelter from the wet and cold weather conditions, but the King instructed that they be brought back to the field to listen to his address.

Drivers arrested

Meanwhile, Department of Transport spokesman Kwanele Ncalane said 16 drivers, including one driving a state vehicle, were arrested for drunken driving on the R66 between Ulundi and Nongoma at the weekend.

Two government vehicles were impounded after it was discovered the drivers were not authorised to drive them.

Ncalane said 800 fines were issued for vehicle faults on over 1 500 vehicles which were stopped along the route.

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