Hundreds of bare-breasted, virgin girls dance before King Mswati

Hundreds of young women and girls on Saturday, October 15 danced before Eswatini’s King Mswati III.

The annual Umhlanga/reed dance ceremony started in the morning with the women — referred to as maidens — wearing colourful skirts and necklaces marched to the royal residence in Mbangweni.

Swati maidens wave their national flags while parading at the arena during the 2023 Umhlanga Reed Dance ceremony, at the Mbangweni Royal Residence on October 14, 2023. PHOTO/AFP-MARCO LONGARI

In the week-long ceremony, young girls cut reeds, present them to the Queen Mother (Indlovukazi) – ostensibly to repair the windbreak around her royal residence – and then dance in celebration.

“I am happy, it means a lot to me to be a maiden,” a young woman, who gave her name only as Jasmine, 27, from the city of Manzini told AFP.

King Mswati III sits next to his mother on a throne set up in the stadium as hundreds of bare-breasted maidens dance before him on October 14, 2023.

The maidens then proceeded to a nearby stadium where they would dance for hours before the 55-year-old king.

The king had arrived at the venue surrounded by “Amabutho”, traditional Swati warriors, and he sat next to his mother on a throne set up in the stadium.

File photo: In the week-long ceremony, young girls cut reeds, present them to the Queen Mother (Indlovukazi) – ostensibly to repair the windbreak around her royal residence.

A national version of the Umhlanga/reed dance festival was held in September in the city of Lobamba.

King Mswati III has ruled since 1986. He has the right to pick a new wife among the dancers during this century-old dance festival.

King Mswati III arriving at the venue, surrounded by “Amabutho”, traditional Swati warriors.

The king – referred to as Ngwenyama, “the lion” in SiSwati – has 15 wives and at least36 children. Some of these wives he married while they were still minors.