Maidens dressed in traditional attire walking together Maidens gathered together at Zwelibomvu in Mariannhill. Picture: eThekwini Municipality via Facebook.
Durban - The annual Maidens Conference, which aims to educate, promote and raise awareness on social ills facing young girls, was held at the KwaZwelibomvu Sports Ground in Ward 100 on Saturday.
In a statement on Friday, the eThekwini Municipality said the event was held to promote purity, as the maidens readied themselves to take part in the annual reed dance, usually held in eNyokeni in KwaNongoma.
Close to 3000 girls from all the wards in eThekwini were expected to attend, it said.
The event had various educational institutions and non-profit organisations as part of the programme, providing information about the available opportunities for young women.
The municipality said on its Facebook page on Saturday that the conference also aimed to help young maidens to prepare for Umkhosi Womhlanga in Enyokeni, which happens annually, where over 10 000 maidens from across the province take part.
While some residents complained that they had not been informed about the event taking place in the area, councillor Mbuyiseni Mkhize said the event was specifically for maidens.
’’The event was not planned by us, but by eThekwini Municipality and those who it was directed at were well informed about it. I am happy with the turnout,’’ he said.