Africa-Press – Eswatini. Zulu King Misuzulu kaZwelithini’s Umkhosi woMhlanga (Reed Dance Festival), scheduled to take place in Nongoma today, has been hailed as an event cementing ties between the Zulu nation and Eswatini, whose maidens are set to participate in the Nongoma event.
Held annually, the Umkhosi woMhlanga, where Zulu maidens congregate to honour the King by handing him reeds, has became a drawcard for tourists from across the neighbouring country.
This comes straight after the country also hosted a colourful event that was concluded through the main day event at Ludzidzini Royal Residence on Monday.
The local event was also graced by maidens from outside the country’s borders and drew tourists from all over the world.
According to KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs (EDTEA) Siboniso Duma, this year’s reed dance will be a catalyst for the revival of the province’s tourism industry, which suffered a drawback due to COVID-19.
Before the pandemic, the event had grown into a popular heritage and tourism attraction with the number of both domestic and international visitors growing year on year.
“Although this was halted during the COVID-19 lockdown, it is again gathering momentum now that our new monarch, King Misuzulu kaZwelithini, has continued with this important festival,” he told the Citizen.
Like Eswatini, the Zulu nation stages the Reed Dance Festival annually.
Tourism KwaZulu-Natal acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Nhlanhla Khumalo, said today’s festival will strengthen the ties between KZN and the people of Eswatini.
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“It is important that we explore our shared heritage that reaches back hundreds of years to a time before the region was colonised and then extends to the struggle years when Eswatini supported South Africa’s quest for freedom from apartheid.
“The Umkhosi woMhlanga is an important event where we can reach back to our rich historical roots whilst also celebrating how our shared cultural heritage can impact on the relationship between KZN and Eswatini going into the future,” he said.
The reed which the Zulu maidens hand to the King has a historical significance. According to folklore, the original ancestor of the Zulu people emerged from the reeds.
The festival will take place at the Zulu Royal Palace of eNyokeni in Nongoma.
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