By: Motshabi Hoaeane
On June 16th, amachichi—young virgin maidens known collectively as Izintombi Zika Mashaya—gathered for their annual umcimbi ceremony. United by a shared commitment to moral discipline and the traditional values of sexual abstinence and innocence, the girls, led by veteran cultural practitioner Gogo Mashaya, marked this rite of passage in a celebration rich with heritage, pride, and community spirit.The umcimbi, is a vibrant culmination of months of mentorship and virginity testing. Dressed in traditional regalia, the maidens sang and danced, captivating onlookers with renditions of cultural songs and a performance of Sarafina, in honor of Youth Day. They marched from Basothong Hostel, Block M, across the close by portions of the Emazulwini section in Vosloorus.
Gogo Mashaya, with many years of experience, guides the young maidens through grooming and ceremonial coming of age practices. She added that the methods she employs are based on self-esteem and moral discipline, as well as a strong awareness of lifestyle choices such as which foods to avoid, in order to prevent hormones from taking control of girls’ bodies and desires. She stated that she began this effort while she was a virgin and determined that it was something she wanted to pass on to future generations of ladies.
“I began this work from home in the rural areas, and when I was beyond my own womanhood grooming I still loved this practice. In addition to this, as a tradition the children in the townships do not have knowledge about it, so it became important for me to pass this knowledge on to the young girls.” she said.
“It is important for girls to “hlolwa” as it helps avoid situations where parents are surprised only when a girl child suddenly announces pregnancy. Also, it helps parents to be clear on whether their girls have been violated or merely engaging in risky behaviour voluntarily.” She added.
Sarah Mnisi, a mother to one of the maidens said umcimbi was important because outside of the girls being virgins, their conduct and behaviour is important especially through what they are mentored. She said that it helped balance girls’ behaviour against the challenges of fast-paced modern day life.“As parents there are decisions we made that we didn’t appreciate so we hope that our children do not follow those paths but make better decisions instead.” she said.
Although some consider this practice to be rooted in conservative or rural circumstances, many of the girls involved in Isikole Sobuntombi, also known as the “School of Virginity” are from metropolitan, modern households. Parents in densely populated cities are increasingly looking to institutional structures such as Izintombi Zika Mashaya to promote discipline and cultural pride in their children.
Gogo Mashaya also highlighted the role of official institutional support in making her work sustainable. She credited the South African Police Service (SAPS) in Vosloorus for their continued assistance, especially in sensitive cases and the safety of the girls under her guidance. Through umcimbi and the continued mentorship of Izintombi Zika Mashaya, a generation of girls is being raised with a deep sense of purpose, identity, and cultural consciousness.
