38 Virgins Die On Their Way To Be Tested By Swazi King

At least 38 virgins have been killed in an auto crash on their way to
the festival where the Swaziland king chooses his wives.

The virgins were on their way to an age-oldfestival in Swaziland which
permits the king to choose a new bride every year in August. The
ceremony is called the Swazi Reed Dance Festival. At this event, it is
alleged that the king parades and tests topless under-aged virgin
girls publicly to ascertain that they are still virgins. However, the
real facts about this tradition are usually distorted.

According to Times of Swaziland, dozens of girls were killed during
the weekend, as they travelled to the traditional festival where the
King of Swaziland was to pick a new bride from thousands of topless,
dancing virgins.

An open-topped truck collided with another vehicle, before being hit
by a second truck as it travelled along a motorway between the Swazi
cities of Mbabane and Manzini earlier this weekend. At least 38 girls
who were to partake in the annual event, lost their lives. About 20
survivors were being treated at a local hospital.

There is speculation that the authorities in Swaziland were trying to
cover up the accident from human rights groups. It was alleged by the
Swaziland Solidarity Network (SSN) that the police attempted to
discourage media reports on the deaths.

Photographers were restricted from the scene for security reasons,
according to a Swazi journalist. Reporters described the scene as
chaotic, as parents began to arrive at the Raleigh Fitkin Memorial
Hospital, in Manzini.

One of the survivors, Siphelele Sigudla, 18, told newsmen: "We were
about 50 on board the first truck that smashed into the Toyota van."

The SSN has called on the royal family to reconsider going ahead with
the festival, which sees about 40,000 participating in the eight-day
ceremony.

"We hope that the families of the deceased girls will hold the royal
family accountable for the deaths of their children," the SSN group
said in a statement, as it alleged a similar incident had been covered
up previously.

"The least that the royal family can do at this moment is to cancel
this year's reed dance."

King Mswat III, in his condolence statement, said: "We all have heard
about the dark cloud that has befallen the 'imbali," he said, using
the Swati language word for 'flower', used to refer to the groups of
women dancers.

Speaking at the opening of an international trade fair in Swaziland's
economic centre Manzini, Mswat promised that the affected families
would be compensated, adding that investigation into the accident was
ongoing.

It would be noted that King Mswati is often criticised in the
international media and on the internet for his lavish lifestyle. Many
are distraught at the fact that he has a private jet, fleets of BMW
and Mercedes-Benz cars and 13 palaces, regularly travelling across the
world in an opulent style; yet most of the people of his kingdom live
in abject poverty on less than two US dollars per day.

-Naij.com