By Celani Sikhakhane
The KZN government wants to adopt the style of the British royals and develop Zulu palaces into tourism attractions.
This was revealed during the first leg of the Reed Dance ceremony held at the eMachobeni Royal Palace in Ngwavuma in the far north of KwaZulu-Natal on Saturday.
Premier Thami Ntuli told King Misuzulu KaZwelithini that their plan is to go with the British royal style where the monarch works hand in hand with government.
“In Britain, the monarchy is very rich because it works closely with government and the palaces are tourism destinations. That’s what we want to do in this province with your government, Your Majesty.
“We want palaces to be places of tourism in order for the monarchy to generate its own income,” said Ntuli.
The eMachobeni Reed Dance caters for the maidens who reside in the far northern areas of KZN and are unable to attend the main event in Nongoma.
King Misuzulu KaZwelithini is planning a mother of all events for the main Reed Dance, which will be celebrating 40 years since it was revived by the late King Zwelithini kaBhekuzulu and his wife, the late Queen Regent Mantfombi kaSobhuza Dlamini-Zulu.
The Saturday ceremony was full of joy for thousands of maidens who came in numbers to celebrate their purity.
The ceremony has faced much criticism from feminists and the ANC Women’s League.
They claim that it violates the dignity of young women.
But maidens have hit back and even staged a protest at the ANC headquarters of Luthuli House to call on the ANCWL and other organisations to stay away from their cultural practices.
Some years back, the former mayor of the then-uMnambithi municipality (now Alfred Duma municipality) Dudu Mazibuko came under fire when she created a bursary fund for maidens.
Women activists such as Nomboniso Gasa fought against the bursary scheme and claimed that it was discriminatory to women who had lost their virginity in rape.
Pictured above: King Misuzulu KaZwelithini with his daughter during the first leg of the Reed Dance held at eMachobeni Royal Palace on Saturday.
Source: Supplied
