According to the Post , the issue is complex in South Africa because its constitution "lauds diversity but requires cultural customs to bend to individual rights. Virginity testing is most common among Zulus, which are the largest ethnic group in South Africa, and differs from female genital cutting -- also called female genital mutilation and female circumcision -- which also was banned last year. The virginity tests, usually performed by elderly women, involve inspecting the genitals of girls for torn hymens. A spokesperson for South Africa's Department of Social Development said that the regulations of the ban still were being debated but that violators could be subject to criminal charges. South Africa's Commission for Gender Equality , which backed the ban on virginity testing, said the practice is a "public spectacle" that can be harmful to the girls participating. Nomboniso Gasa, chair of the commission, said that the "very notion of virginity testing as interpreted is that it's up to the girl to prove her virginity," adding that the practice, "important as it may have been in the past, no longer serves our society. Nomagugu Ngobese, a sex educator who said she has trained around virginity testers, said, "Human rights are individual rights, which is not the way for us. We live communally.


The heart of Zululand


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By creating an account, I agree to the Terms of service and Privacy policy. J J oining the friends and relatives of thousands of young girls attired in traditional Zulu dress to watch them sing, dance and celebrate their culture, is a powerful and moving experience. This annual ceremony, known as the Mkhosi woMhlanga or the Zulu r eed d ance , is a centuries-old tradition. It takes place in September, right at the start of spring, at the eNyokeni Palace in Nongoma, Zululand. Girls from all over the country arrive in the area for the traditional Zulu festivities.
Zulu traditional dress. South Africa has a rich variety of cultures and traditions. To celebrate this, we have started a new series which will highlight a different culture in each issue of Vuk'uzenzele. The first of the series looks at traditional Zulu dress and its meaning. Traditional clothing is an important part of Zulu culture.