By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The annual uMkhosi woMhlanga or Reed Dance, centred around young women presenting reeds to the Zulu monarch is taking place at the eMashobeni Royal Palace in oPhongolo in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN).
The colourful ceremony is known for its singing, dancing, traditional dress and royal procession, but there is much more to it than the spectacle.
For generations, uMkhosi woMhlanga has provided a space for cultural knowledge to be passed from older women to younger generations, while celebrating Zulu identity, language, customs and traditional arts.
The modern Zulu Reed Dance was revived during the reign of the late King Goodwill Zwelithini kaBhekuzulu, with his Great Wife, the late Queen Mantfombi Dlamini-Zulu, playing a crucial role in bringing the tradition back into Zulu cultural life.
Queen Mantfombi, who was born into the Eswatini royal family, was widely credited with helping restore the ceremony and bringing knowledge of the reed dance tradition from her royal home into the Zulu kingdom.
In 2022, King Misuzulu kaZwelithini paid tribute to his late mother for bringing the tradition from her Swazi royal home and sharing it with her marital home in the Zulu kingdom.
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Video Courtesy of SABC.