Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
Charlize upbraided for cultural ‘insult’ Zulu king’s foundation complains to UN
A SPEECH by Hollywood superstar Charlize Theron electrified the recent 2016 Aids Conference in Durban but appears to have caused offence to upholders of Zulu culture.
Theron yesterday contacted the chief executive of King Goodwill Zwelithini’s Bayede Foundation, Rhana Naicker, to explain her comment on “it’s the culture that condones rape” included in her speech, which she has said was intended as a broad statement about culture on a global level.
Earlier this week, Naicker had invited Theron to attend the Annual Reed Dance festival to be held next weekend in Zululand, so the Benoni-born star could learn more about Zulu culture.
In an emailed letter to Theron via the Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project (CTAOP), Naicker said, “You seem to have pinned the responsibility of HIV prevalence and new incidences on culture, citing that rapes are culturally condoned,” adding that after a detailed analysis of Theron’s speech, the Bayede Foundation has sent a letter to the UN raising their concern.
Theron is a UN Messenger of Peace.
Through the executive director of the CTAOP, Ashlee George, Theron declined the invitation to the reed dance as she is filming, while also turning down Naicker’s request for funding, saying “CTAOP’s grant budget has already been allocated for this year and we are not currently reviewing any additional grants”.
With regard to the rape comment, George said: “The purpose of Theron’s visit and attendance at the international conference was to highlight the complex challenges contributing to the alarming HIV infection rates and Aids related deaths among adolescents everywhere. The single reference made to culture in her speech was made on a global stage with a global context and was not directed at any one specific culture or cultural group.”
Naicker said Zulu culture, such as the Royal Reed Dance was an important vehicle to drive the foundation’s programmes to fight HIV/Aids.
“The annual Reed Dance Festival, which celebrates virginity testing among 40 000 adolescent girls, is an esteemed legacy cultural festival of the Zulu nation and has been wrongly proclaimed as the platform for the king to choose a new bride.
“Contrary to the belief of the Western world and its activists, this festival is now boasted as a form of health intervention to reduce new incidences of HIV among the vulnerable adolescent girls by encouraging young girls to practise abstinence from sexual activity thus reducing infections. The young women look forward to this festival and do not see this as an act of women’s right violation, they take pride in their celibacy.”
She said such interventions are crucial, particularly given that at the Aids conference it was highlighted that there was a global decrease of new infections in all categories except in South Africa with adolescent girls. TIDES High today ......... 4.17pm, 4.29pm Tomorrow .......... 4.46am, 4.58pm Low today ...... 10.15am, 10.39pm Tomorrow ...... 10.43am, 11.07pm Spring tides ..................... Sept 16 ............................................ Oct 1 Neap Tides ........................ Sept 9 ........................................ Sept 23 SUN/MOON Sunrise today .................. 7.03am Sunset today ................... 6.29pm Moon rises today ............. 8.10am Moon sets tomorrow........ 8.32pm