Ndzundza Ndebele marriage
Ndzundza Ndebele of South Africa
Their weddings are a threefold ceremony. Before this process, the bride to be is secluded and taken care of by elderly women from her home.
The first part of the wedding requires a dowry to be paid in the form of livestock to the family of the bride. The woman then moves to live with her husband.
Part two comes after the bride gives birth to her first child after a reasonable amount of time. She now wears an “ijogolo”, an apron that signifies her motherhood.
Part three is when the groom honours his wife for bearing him a child and as an appreciation for everything she has done for him till that date. If it happens that the woman does not bear a child after a stipulated time, the union is annulled and the groom’s father is refunded the dowry fully or partially.
