75-year-old virgin remains committed to lifelong chastity

Ngipheni Ngcobo, who turned 75 yesterday, says she intends to remain a virgin for the rest of her life. She took part in the Nomkhubulwane Festival festivities in Pietermaritzburg last weekend, ahead of next month’s Reed Dance.

Ngipheni Ngcobo, who turned 75 yesterday, says she plans being a virgin for the rest of her life. Ngcobo also emphasised the importance of protecting and respecting nature at the Nomkhubulwane Festival in Pietermaritzburg last weekend ahead of the Reed Dance next month.

As the Zulu nation prepares for the annual Reed Dance Festival (uMkhosi woMhlanga), a 75-year-old virgin says she has resigned herself to maintaining her chastity until the end of her life.

Ngipheni Ngcobo, who turned 75 on August 15 has been a regular attendee and participant in traditional ceremonies celebrating the chastity and purity of unmarried women.

Speaking on the sidelines of the Nomkhubulwane Festival in KwaMafunze, Pietermaritzburg, last weekend, Ngcobo said she remained committed to the vow she had made to preserve her virginity.

“I remain true to my word, and I will never depart from it. I hope that my covenant to remain pure lasts until death because I am old now. I turned 75 years old on the 15th of this month, still a virgin,” she said.

Ngcobo believes chastity can help young women resist what she describes as worldly temptations.

“I am telling young virgins, it is doable, even though it is challenging. You can remain pure. If you are a virgin, you lead a very clean life,” she said.

Despite her age, Ngcobo is determined to attend this year's Reed Dance, provided suitable transport and accommodation are made available by the government.

She said she could no longer be expected to travel on a bus with younger maidens and sleep in a tent because of the health risks associated with her advanced age.

“If I cover my own costs, I will sleep in a tent and get cold. At my age, getting cold is a risk as I might contract pneumonia,” she said.

Ngcobo said she was encouraged by the rapid growth of the Nomkhubulwane Festival, which she said had developed significantly since it began 15 years ago.

“It started small and it gradually grew. Now it is bigger, and even the royal family, when they attend, regard it as a precursor to the Reed Dance,” she said.

The ceremony attracted maidens from across KwaZulu-Natal, with some travelling from as far afield as Johannesburg.