Ngwavuma - The first leg of the annual Zulu reed dance at eMachobeni royal palace in Ngwavuma, northern KwaZulu-Natal, reached its climax on Saturday when maidens delivered reeds to King Misuzulu KaZwelithini.
The delivering of the reeds took place around 2pm.
Having arrived two hours earlier, the King was ushered and holed up with royal family members, amakhosi and politicians in one of the main houses in the palace.
He then emerged and joined male Zulu regiments who escorted him to the main gate to receive the reeds.
The deliverance of the reeds by the maidens who were around 5 000 in number marked the end of the first part of the ceremony.
From there the regiments escorted him to the main marquee where dancing by the maidens before him and other guests was expected to take place until late.
The maidens were bused from all corners of the province to take part in the ceremony which is aimed at encouraging maidens to maintain their virginity.
This is an old Nguni cultural tradition which at some point the Zulu Kingdom had stopped practising until the late King Goodwill Zwelithini and his great wife, Queen Mantfombi Dlamini-Zulu decided to revive it in 1984.
Normally, the annual dance takes place at the historic eNyokeni palace, but King Misuzulu, upon taking the throne last year, decided to include it in honour of his late mother, Queen Mantfombi, who had modelled the ceremony along the one held in the kingdom of eSwatini.
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