Thirty-Eight virgins who were travelling to join thousands of other virgins in Swazi’s annual reed dance perished in a road accident en route to Mbabane, the Kingdom’s capital.
The driver of the vehicle has been taken into custody while unconfirmed reports indicate the number of those dead has risen to 65.
Swaziland King Mswati joined the dancers while his guest, Ghana’s Ashanti King, watched from the stands.
The eight day event will culminate in King Mswati III picking another wife -the 16th – though with the tragic accident, critics have urged him to turn the dance into prayer rallies and wait for next year. However, the virgins (‘imbali’ in local dialect) thronged the King’s palace.
It is estimated that over 40,000 teen girls and women attend the dance annually, including tourists and women from neighbouring Botswana and South Africa.
Anonymous says
tragic, anyway this guy seems to fare better than Jihadists promised virgins hereafter
Carlosdanger45 says
38 Virgins!! What a loss…….
Anonymous says
oh nooo….
Anonymous says
What type of traditions are these? Upuzi. King Solomon found it to be vanity. Useless. Wives & wives, so what?
kitoto says
so sad
Anonymous says
Yhis slave culure and primitive behaviours must cease compretely in this era and age. That paedophilia king must stand accused for mass-killings.
Anonymous says
there is nothing Primitive about African culture.
Anonymous says
There is.
Anonymous says
Like a joke very high loss in that country ya mswati. let him think of God not of destroying the young generation.
Dan kayoi says
Kwani ni lazima wa dance?
audi says
So sad,
Walter Ruto says
The virgins would’ve died still without reedculture only God knows when and where to recall you.Stop blaming culture but careless driving.
Anonymous says
There is no God in Africa Presidents and Kings are Gods.then show me which god?
Anonymous says
Where are African christians (or) they are fake christians? Why are they doing nothing to stop this King and his Primitive acient culture of explotation? Wake-up !Stand up you Gossiping lost Christians of Dark African Continent!
Anonymous says
I don’t think it’s Mswati’s culture. It’s the Swazi culture. I happened to be there yesterday and this thing is very elaborate not like it’s perceived online. Guys here flocked the stadium. It’s a big ceremony here. Still its unfortunate the ladies died.
Anonymous says
But whats the point of keepng ur virginity only to lose it to smne who alrdy has 15 wives.Thot it wud b of grt pride to lose it to an equaly ‘virgin’ man(but where can u find them anyway)
Anonymous says
u kenyan women r selfish u can’t stomach the thought of having a cowife.
Nirvana says
Umama
Nyakwar Nyolilo says
let’s not rebuke de Swazis culture bt join dem in dere pain dey undergo,reflect de accident we’ve witnessed in Kenya,y to throw words againxt de Xwazis culture?
Daniel Movado Omondi says
Let background and custom of Swaziland continue in a prospers manner,it does not depend how much people talk but it reflects the maturity of the nation and kingdom itself.