Traditional leaders in the Eastern Cape want the state to reward young girls for remaining virgins, saying those who fell pregnant were being rewarded with child support grants.
Speaking during the launch of a programme to revive inkciyo (virginity testing), Eastern Cape House of Traditional Leaders (ECHTL) chairman Nkosi Mwelo Nonkonyana said it was important to motivate young girls to abstain from sex until they were married.
“We will fight to ensure maidens receive scholarships to further their studies. Rewarding virgins by awarding them with scholarships or bursaries is a good thing. It would attract more girls to remain pure and the country will not have cases of teenage pregnancy and new HIV or STI infections,” said Nonkonyana.
The practice of virginity testing has met with strong opposition from liberals and feminists, who argue that it is a violation of a woman’s body.
The launch at Ngwentsheni Great Place in KwaBhaca on Tuesday saw young girls being awarded with certificates and given gifts for remaining virgins.
“We understand that the Constitutional Court is bound by the constitution, which is eurocentric. Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng is trying hard to transform the judiciary to accommodate our norms and values as Africans, but their hands are tied because of the eurocentric constitution,” said Nonkonyana.
Inkciyo “involves empowerment of the girls, boosting their self-esteem and confidence, and giving them teachings based on morality, self-respect and respecting the broader society as well as knowing and respecting their own body”, he said.
Should the Eastern Cape government decline to reward maidens, traditional leaders would implement “Plan B”, he said.
“In the interim, we as Contralesa and all our kings, queens and other royals in South Africa will look at soliciting funding or scholarships for the virgin girls.
“You can call it discriminatory, but this is not unfair discrimination especially when the government is already providing for those who have given birth,” he added.
Contralesa also wants people who are virginity testers – oonomehlo – to be paid a stipend.
Gender Equality commissioner Mbuyiselo Botha said he was impressed with what he saw at the launch. “Today I have seen how beautiful is this culture and the young girls voluntarily affirmed their virginity and that they are not forced to practice this rite.
“They explained that they volunteered to undergo the practice.
“To us as the commission that is important,” Botha said.
“What I have seen here is one of the ways that young girls affirm their culture and pride themselves in their purity.
“In the face of the HIV/Aids epidemic, sexual violence and the misnomer called blessers, all of us must appreciate what we see here.”
Botha said all cultures must be respected, restored, protected and promoted. However, the commission would not tolerate any culture that undermined fundamental human rights. — lulamilef@dispatch.co.za
Call for government to reward virgins
Speaking during the launch of a programme to revive inkciyo (virginity testing), Eastern Cape House of Traditional Leaders (ECHTL) chairman Nkosi Mwelo Nonkonyana said it was important to motivate young girls to abstain from sex until they were married.
“We will fight to ensure maidens receive scholarships to further their studies. Rewarding virgins by awarding them with scholarships or bursaries is a good thing. It would attract more girls to remain pure and the country will not have cases of teenage pregnancy and new HIV or STI infections,” said Nonkonyana.
The practice of virginity testing has met with strong opposition from liberals and feminists, who argue that it is a violation of a woman’s body.
The launch at Ngwentsheni Great Place in KwaBhaca on Tuesday saw young girls being awarded with certificates and given gifts for remaining virgins.
“We understand that the Constitutional Court is bound by the constitution, which is eurocentric. Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng is trying hard to transform the judiciary to accommodate our norms and values as Africans, but their hands are tied because of the eurocentric constitution,” said Nonkonyana.
Inkciyo “involves empowerment of the girls, boosting their self-esteem and confidence, and giving them teachings based on morality, self-respect and respecting the broader society as well as knowing and respecting their own body”, he said.
Should the Eastern Cape government decline to reward maidens, traditional leaders would implement “Plan B”, he said.
“In the interim, we as Contralesa and all our kings, queens and other royals in South Africa will look at soliciting funding or scholarships for the virgin girls.
“You can call it discriminatory, but this is not unfair discrimination especially when the government is already providing for those who have given birth,” he added.
Contralesa also wants people who are virginity testers – oonomehlo – to be paid a stipend.
Gender Equality commissioner Mbuyiselo Botha said he was impressed with what he saw at the launch. “Today I have seen how beautiful is this culture and the young girls voluntarily affirmed their virginity and that they are not forced to practice this rite.
“They explained that they volunteered to undergo the practice.
“To us as the commission that is important,” Botha said.
“What I have seen here is one of the ways that young girls affirm their culture and pride themselves in their purity.
“In the face of the HIV/Aids epidemic, sexual violence and the misnomer called blessers, all of us must appreciate what we see here.”
Botha said all cultures must be respected, restored, protected and promoted. However, the commission would not tolerate any culture that undermined fundamental human rights. — lulamilef@dispatch.co.za
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