Swaziland's virgins throw off chastity symbol

Thousands of Swazi virgins on Monday took off the traditional tassels they have worn to signify chastity, ending a five-year ritual reintroduced in 2001 to fight the country’s AIDS crisis.

“I have worn this since 2001. No boy has touched me but for on the lips. This has made me stronger as an individual, and I have honored Swazi custom,” said Penelope Dube, 20, who lives close to the royal village of Ludzidzini, 9 miles east of Mbabane, the country’s capital.

The tradition, known as Umcwasho, has a customary period of five years. It has been observed periodically but had not been practiced for decades before it was reintroduced in 2001 as officials sought to turn the tide on HIV/AIDS.

An estimated 40 percent of adults in Swaziland carry the HIV virus, the highest infection rate in the world.

Girls between the ages of 16-24 were instructed to wear the tassels to advertise their chastity.

The tassel ceremony took place on Monday at the royal compound in Ludzidzini, where the maidens are gathering ahead of the traditional reed dance next week.

The king's 12 wives
Swaziland’s King Mswati attends the annual dance and since 1999 has used the event to choose new brides from among the bare-breasted dancers to join his royal wives.

For Subscribers

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAbdul El-Sayed tries to woo MAHA voters as Democrats seek inroads with RFK’s supporters

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKratom-like substances are popping up in a typically benign supplement

FOR SUBSCRIBERSGOP super PAC increases its spending for Sen. Jon Husted in tough Ohio race

FOR SUBSCRIBERSRecords reveal tumultuous marriage between slain New York Times executive and wife

FOR SUBSCRIBERSFrom clean energy warrior to ‘wall of shame,’ James Talarico reverses on a fossil fuel money pledge

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCongressional staff planned official trip with luxury stops in Italy and France weeks before election

FOR SUBSCRIBERSA harrowing ordeal aboard an Israel-bound plane

FOR SUBSCRIBERSOpenAI CEO Sam Altman to skip congressional hearing on rogue AI agents

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKey DOJ lawyers departed Trump ‘grand conspiracy’ probe amid pressure to produce, source says

FOR SUBSCRIBERSTrump’s new AI chatbot often links to a site launched under Clinton 26 years ago

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAt MAHA summit, industry CEOs the movement once vilified take the stage

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThis Paralympian has two goals: Win medals and give away $500,000 to her teammates

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCornell rape allegation spotlights stringent New York state laws that have long drawn criticism

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThe debate over AI’s future rages on both coasts

FOR SUBSCRIBERSDecades-old march dispute reignites in Northern Ireland, threatening political crisis

The 37-year-old king, sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute monarch, has 12 wives.
The virgins’ tasseled woolen headgear will be burned early on Tuesday in another private ceremony.

For Subscribers

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAbdul El-Sayed tries to woo MAHA voters as Democrats seek inroads with RFK’s supporters

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKratom-like substances are popping up in a typically benign supplement

FOR SUBSCRIBERSGOP super PAC increases its spending for Sen. Jon Husted in tough Ohio race

FOR SUBSCRIBERSRecords reveal tumultuous marriage between slain New York Times executive and wife

FOR SUBSCRIBERSFrom clean energy warrior to ‘wall of shame,’ James Talarico reverses on a fossil fuel money pledge

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCongressional staff planned official trip with luxury stops in Italy and France weeks before election

FOR SUBSCRIBERSA harrowing ordeal aboard an Israel-bound plane

FOR SUBSCRIBERSOpenAI CEO Sam Altman to skip congressional hearing on rogue AI agents

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKey DOJ lawyers departed Trump ‘grand conspiracy’ probe amid pressure to produce, source says

FOR SUBSCRIBERSTrump’s new AI chatbot often links to a site launched under Clinton 26 years ago

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAt MAHA summit, industry CEOs the movement once vilified take the stage

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThis Paralympian has two goals: Win medals and give away $500,000 to her teammates

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCornell rape allegation spotlights stringent New York state laws that have long drawn criticism

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThe debate over AI’s future rages on both coasts

FOR SUBSCRIBERSDecades-old march dispute reignites in Northern Ireland, threatening political crisis

“We wished to protect our girls from contracting AIDS,” said Mandla Ginindza, a chaperone for the young women.

Families of those who lost their virginity had to pay a penalty of one cow, or a cash equivalent of $200 — a significant expense in a country where two-thirds of the population lives on less than $1 per day.

Mswati himself had to pay a cow fine after he took a virgin fiancee just days after the Umcwasho order was instituted.

Critics accused the king of ignoring his own moral pronouncements, but the palace argued that the tradition was aimed at stopping pre-marital sex rather than formal marriages.