More than 30 girls were thrashed because they
did not dance half naked in front of Swaziland’s King Mswati III. They were beaten
so badly some needed treatment from paramedics.
The girls,
described in local media as ‘maidens’, were expected to take part in a ‘Reed
Dance’ at Mbangweni Royal Residence in the Shiselweni region of the kingdom.
The Shiselweni Reed Dance is a regional version of a national Reed Dance
that takes place each year near the beginning of September. Girls, who are expected
to be virgins, from all over the kingdom are required to take part in the event
where they dance topless in front of King Mswati, who is sub-Saharan Africa’s
last absolute monarch.
Swazi media reported that at Shiselweni more than 30 girls disappeared from
a camp where they were staying and did not attend the dance.
The Times
of Swaziland reported,
‘Most of the girls, who were caned by their headmen, were beaten for not
participating in the main event, while they left their respective homes under
the pretext that they were going to the Reed Dance Ceremony.’
The newspaper
added, ‘It was discovered that while the girls were being punished by the
headmen, some got seriously injured as they tried to run away. Most of them
were treated by paramedics, who attended to their case overnight (21 September
2014).’
The newspaper also
reported that the police took one girl away who was suspected of being with a
boy.
The Times reported, ‘Police officers arrived
at the campsite and took the girl away to hospital for tests. Assistant
Superintendent Khulani Mamba, Deputy Police Information and Communications
Officer, confirmed the incident.
‘He said the girl
was taken to a health facility in order to find out whether there was any
penetration that happened over the night.
‘Mamba said medical
personnel ruled out the possibility of penetration.’
See also
SWAZI GIRLS
FACE PUBLIC WHIPPING
http://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2014/08/swazi-girls-face-public-whipping.html
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