News / Regional
Kalangas do away with 'nholo we ngwizana' marriage practice
28 Jul 2013 at 14:27hrs | Views
THE Kalanga community in Plumtree in Matabeleland South has dumped a controversial cultural practice, whereby young women were ordered to have sex with their fathers-in-law first before they slept with their husbands.
The villagers who spoke to Standardcommunity last week said they have since stopped the practice because it was a violation of women's rights.
"Long back when we were growing up, what used to happen is that before the new bride formally got married to her husband, she was supposed to have sex with her husband's father to verify whether she was a viirgin," said Bhekizulu Tshuma (74), one of the villagers.
He said the new bride was not supposed to refuse as it was part of the Kalanga culture.
Another villager, Loghty Nleya (77), said besides testing for viirginity, the practice was important in strengthening the relationship between the father and son.
"Because of this practice, it was common that in most instances, a woman's first born did not belong to her husband but to her father-in-law instead, since he would have been the first one to sleep with her and break her viirginity," he said.
Village elder, Mbimba Mhlanga said although the practice had since stopped, it was important to curb sex before marriage.
"We have since stopped the cultural practice and it is no longer there," said Mhlanga.
"We were advised by the government and many health non-governmental organisations (NGOs) that the practice posed a danger in transmitting sexually transmitted infections (STIs), as well as HIV and Aids," said Mhlanga.
Mhlanga said at one time in the community a whole family was wiped out due to HIV and Aids because of that practice.
"There was a serious campaign by the NGOs after some families perished after contracting HIV," he said.
He however added: "The problem is that nowadays our daughters are losing their viirginity at a tender age because there is no one to monitor them."
Mhlanga said the cultural system was also meant to prepare the son to take over his father's younger wives in case he died.
"In our Kalanga culture, men used to marry a lot of wives and in case the father died, the son would take over his surviving wives," he said.
Mhlanga admitted that the controversial practice was incest but "we accepted it because it was part of our culture".
The villagers who spoke to Standardcommunity last week said they have since stopped the practice because it was a violation of women's rights.
"Long back when we were growing up, what used to happen is that before the new bride formally got married to her husband, she was supposed to have sex with her husband's father to verify whether she was a viirgin," said Bhekizulu Tshuma (74), one of the villagers.
He said the new bride was not supposed to refuse as it was part of the Kalanga culture.
Another villager, Loghty Nleya (77), said besides testing for viirginity, the practice was important in strengthening the relationship between the father and son.
"Because of this practice, it was common that in most instances, a woman's first born did not belong to her husband but to her father-in-law instead, since he would have been the first one to sleep with her and break her viirginity," he said.
Village elder, Mbimba Mhlanga said although the practice had since stopped, it was important to curb sex before marriage.
"We were advised by the government and many health non-governmental organisations (NGOs) that the practice posed a danger in transmitting sexually transmitted infections (STIs), as well as HIV and Aids," said Mhlanga.
Mhlanga said at one time in the community a whole family was wiped out due to HIV and Aids because of that practice.
"There was a serious campaign by the NGOs after some families perished after contracting HIV," he said.
He however added: "The problem is that nowadays our daughters are losing their viirginity at a tender age because there is no one to monitor them."
Mhlanga said the cultural system was also meant to prepare the son to take over his father's younger wives in case he died.
"In our Kalanga culture, men used to marry a lot of wives and in case the father died, the son would take over his surviving wives," he said.
Mhlanga admitted that the controversial practice was incest but "we accepted it because it was part of our culture".
Source - Standardcommunity
