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During apartheid, indigenous cultures were discouraged and processes were in place to recognise some dominant cultures as supreme to the others. Therefore, the recommendation of the Gender Commission that Ukuhlolwa" kwe'Ntombi to be scrapped is regrettable, uninformed and provocative and goes against the spirit and letter of our constitution that recognises all cultures and customary practices with the priscripts of the Bill of Rights.

Every year, young girls from the age of eight have their bodies inspected by older women to ensure that they retain and preserve their youthfulness. A white mark on their foreheads at the end of the ceremony is priceless as it symbolises that they are still pure.

This age old cultural practice, common in Zulu culture has for years been sacred and all the knowledge about it has been part of the Zulu nation. This cultural practice is conducted in communities around KwaZulu-Natal and is meant to preserve the “purity” of young Zulu girls and women.

On the other hand, some value it as part of their culture and see it as necessary especially in this era of fighting the sexually transmitted infections, deceases and teenage pregnancies.

This practice has always been contentious, with critics over the years calling for it to be discontinued. These fresh recent calls have been sparked by one of the KwaZulu-Natal municipalities which introduced an academic bursary scheme for young women who can prove that they are virgins and this caused an uproar earlier this year as well as in the recent past.

It is within this context that we think that the call by the Gender Commission to scrap Ukuhlolwa" kwe'Ntombi is insensitive and disregards the cultural beliefs of others and it takes us back to the painful apartheid years.

This practice of Ukuhlolwa kwe'Ntombi; should be understood for what it is instead of calling for its total scrapping. It is important to note that the issues of culture are sensitive and emotive and should be addressed with extreme caution. It is therefore worrying that the Gender Commission arrived at this conclusion to scrap such an important and sacred cultural practice, Ukuhlolwa" kwe'Ntombi.

The debate if not properly handled will tear the fabric of society and undermine unity among South Africans under our constitutional model of "Unity in Diversity". Calling for the scrapping of this practice without adequate consultation with the traditional community and practitioners within the cultural sector. It is important to note that the constitution has assigned to Traditional Leaders the custodian role of our African cultures, customs and traditions.

Yes, there are certain cultural practices that require to be abandoned, it is in this context that we are planning a "Kgotla" of the Traditional leaders before the end of 2016. This Kgotla will amongst others, discuss the role of traditional leaders as custodians of our customs, traditions and cultures in line with our African way of life and values.

It is important to come together as communities and stakeholders and to support each other and recognise our diversity. We therefore urge all South Africans not to be insensitive and provocative in handling this important practice, said Deputy Minister Bapela.

Issued by Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs