An eight-year-old South African boy married an already married
61-year-old mother of five to please “the ancestors” this weekend. The
ceremony went ahead with the blessings of the child’s mother and the
bride’s husband.
The local community in Tshwane is shocked by the controversial wedding, according to the Independent.
Sanele Masilela, 8, married 61-year-old Helen Shabangu in a ritual
ceremony after claiming the ghost of his deceased grandfather asked him
to do so.
The bride wore a traditional white wedding dress while the
schoolboy sported a silver suit. The wedding ceremony cost almost $2,000
but no marriage certificate was signed, meaning Shabangu cannot be
charged with bigamy. Patience Masilela, the 46-year-old mother of the
child groom, defended the ceremony. She said:
“Sanele is named after his grandfather, who was never had a white wedding before he died so asked Sanele to get married. He chose Helen because he loves her.
By doing this we made the ancestors happy. If we hadn’t done what my son had asked then something bad would have happened in the family. I didn’t have a problem with it because I know it’s what the ancestors wanted and it would make them happy.”The couple will live separate lives.
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