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Minnie Dlamini is definitely not letting this one go.
The TV presenter, who received a lot of criticism after her traditional ceremony, has taken to Facebook to set the record straight. Her Umhlonyane ceremony, which is held when a woman reaches adulthood without conceiving a child, was held at her home in KwaZulu-Natal recently.
According to some people, Umhlonyane is performed when a girl is entering her teen years. Some fans even wondered if Minnie’s ceremony was not supposed to beUmemulo, which is held when girl transitions into womanhood.
Intombi yomZulu, as she refers to herself, wrote on a long post of Facebook explaining that although people are part of the same culture, rituals and practices may not be the same from family to family.
"Each family is unique as these rituals are passed down from each family's forefathers, but they are gunning for a common goal of the ritual. When my father, as the head of our Dlamini branch of the family, decided it was time for him and my mother to formally introduce me to the community as a woman..." she explained.
She admitted that she never uMhlonyane, but only knew of uMemulo and added: "With this process explained to me, according to our family practices, uMemulo takes place when ilobolo has been paid for in full and the spear is provided by the groom..."
She continued: "As the headlines and debates rage on 'How Minnie Got It Wrong!' where I and my family sit, we are in good standing with OUR ancestors and we got nothing wrong."
She said her ceremony will never be the same as another girl's. "Everything is done for a reason unique to not only the family but the girl's individual journey. I as Minenhle Nomkhosi Ntulikazi wakaDlamini, performed NO ceremony for myself, but one was decreed and performed for me by my parents and family. I will not allow any talk or people’s dictation of how it was supposed to be, according to your perception/s, take away one of my life’s most joyous occasions," Minnie wrote.
*Picture: Instagram
