About 100 people were witness to a most unusual wedding at the weekend.
The bride was 61 years old and the groom was an eight-year-old boy! Both families were present at the wedding of Sanele Masilela (8) and Helen Shabangu (61) and the bride’s husband and her five children were also at the wedding in Zimbabwe.
The boy’s aunt, Patience Masilela (46), explained why the wedding took place.
She said: “The boy was named after his late grandfather who never had a white wedding, so the ancestors told the boy to get married and he chose Helen to be his bride. The family took his desire to get married very seriously. They paid for the bride in March last year and spent a lot on the wedding because they believed it was what the ancestors wanted.”
The bride said: “I’m married and have five kids of my own, but I know that this is what the ancestors wanted – and now they are happy. It is a ritual. We are just playing now, but it is a sign that he will get married one day.”
The young groom said: “I told my mother that I wanted to get married because I really did want to. I chose her because I love her and I’m happy that I married her – but I will go to school and study hard. When I’m older I will marry a lady my own age.”
The bride’s long-time husband, Alfred Shabangu (65), said that he never had a problem with her marrying the boy because he too knew that it was what the ancestors wanted. My kids and I are happy. We don’t have any problems with it,” he said.
However, some community members said they were shocked.
One woman said: “How can a family go this far for the ancestors? It shows that people do take messages from the ancestors seriously.”
This was a not a legal marriage – it was only done for ritual purposes. The happy couple seal their marriage with a kiss.
NPG
Wonders shall never end. What kind of tradition is this? Anyway thank God they said its just fos fund.
every thing is the work of GOD .should not be marvel.
ehh!!!!how can a boy marrie his mother
No say grand mum.
Tradition is tradition no matter what.Our custom and traditions must be upheld.
White wedding is not an African tradition, so, no African ancestor shd mandate such, even wt a married woman.
Thank u my brother.white wedding isn’t our African custome.
What you dont eat never use you teeth to divide it. Fuck dis tradition. from the title of the story even before i opened it I knew its not far from zimbabwe – lo & behold it was!
Lolz!!!! I knew 2….wonder y it always hv 2 b Zimbabwe
Najib, grandmother you mean?
Wonders shall neva end.One day we’ll hear dat an 8yr old girl get married to 61yr man
mumu traditions…….
giv 2 ceasar wat belongs 2 ceasar,i guess dats wat tradition demand
I Hope one day that so call tradition of urs will apply 2 ur mum or ur broder or sis??
U are a superficial Christian
So bad!
Thank God for Jesus Christ who brought salvation unto us. Some of us would have still be bound in tradition and rituals like dis. Incase U̶̲̥̅̊ A̶̲̥̅̊я̲̣̥ε̲̣̣̣̥ still doubting; Jesus Ȋ̝̊̅§ Lord. Accept Him today and be free fromm all dis shackles of darkness.
Let them be pls its their tradition so u cant blame d stupid pple at least stupid tradition says the boy wil stil get married… The boy is ignorant thats it a small boy cant be blamed
This is abnormal to human eyes what are miserable expectation may God have on this act
Ritual 4 dat mater
This is unbelievable i dnt believe what my eyes is seeing
An 8yr old girl getting marriage to 61yrs old man is nt forbidden and nt a taboo!
MY FRIEND, IT IS A TABOO, AND SIGN OF UNCIVILIZED SOCIETY.
My advice for them is that they should never give up
What kind of tradition is this that a child wil marry his mother and even not on the normal tradition but on white wedding openly not secret,this type of tradition shd be look into,and find another way 4 it .after d time of ancestor has gone d re no much existing
This is absurd
Na wa for this tradition o. May God help this boy before his life will be useless.
tatafo naija who na no really get wuk.God punish devil for heaven sake what kind of people is dis
God will deliver this ignorant boy from all this evill marriage and satanic manipulation
It’s too bad! why should man prefer obeying oracle rather than his creator. Most critics would have nothing to say about this scence BUT the freelance of a muslim lady to get marry to who she prefers after witnessing her third menses turns out to a malicious debate.
I’s a pity that people are still in this kind of bondage all in the name of tradition at this age.how will the 2 of them share the woman, & again, will this innocent boy be introduced to sex @ this tender age? What a rubbish!
I don’t believe such act
I don’t believe such act, so they are playing since d young man knew he will re-marry again
it shocking , now in dz day whe our scntst planning to human shifting on d Moon , and here dz ppl are talking only for d wish of Ancestor dong non-sense , amazingly Gvt is not taking axn on such kind of rubbish person , it loks like gvt also promoting such Things
Dat is life 4 u. One man’s meat
What sort of reckless people wicked ancestorial tradition is this? God help this people.
Ancestors do not go to church so why would they do white wedding for the sake of ancestor.
Pls even if dis is true, I will advice dem to accept Christ nd dey woun’t be able obey satanic command rather obey d voice of GOD d creator. GOD is real, beside Jesus is coming soon. Accept Him now so dat had I know will never be ur portion @ last.
This is child abuse and those inconnection with the marriage should arrested and dwelt with, rubbish. The real husband of this woman should be queried
dis is d sign of d end time be prpd
I hope tradition will tell him to sleep with that woman o,,,, yeye tradition
d most stupid, useless, embarasn tradtn
can’t u see,givin ur life 2 christ is just d best tin,wit Him,no time 4 such stories,i mean hw can an 8yrs boy marry 61yr woman,aru.thank God 4 Jesus
Wat kind of tradition is dat
Obviously,i dont think this boy really know what hes doing or who the woman is…the little boy orientation to the old woman might possibly be maybe shes celebrating her birthday for her,don’t blame the boy,put a blame on his so called parents because i know from my heart that this young boy wont know what he has done until he turn 16 years Old