Nine-year-old Saneie Masilela has remarried 62-year-old Helen Shabangu in a traditional ceremony in Ximhungwe, Mpumalanga, South Africa.
Dressed in a silvery tuxedo, Saneie repeated his vows with Helen, a mother of five, in front of 100 guests. The schoolboy claimed he wanted to make the marriage 'official' following a similar ceremony last year.
The wedding has been described as 'sickening' by some villagers, while both families insist it is merely a 'ritual' to appease Saneie's dead ancestors. According to the families, Saneie was instructed by his ancestors to wed Helen last year, prompting his parents to pay £500 for the bride and £1,000 for the ceremony.
Family Reaction ¶
Helen's long-term husband, Alfred Shabangu, 66, attended the ceremony and expressed his happiness, stating, 'My kids and I are happy because we don't have a problem with her marrying the boy - and I don’t care what other people say.'
Saneie's mother, Patience Masilela, 47, explained that her son was happy about the ceremony and wanted to do it again to fulfill the ancestors' wishes. She added that after the wedding last year, everything returned to normal, and Saneie even moved to Venda to learn a new language.
'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,' Patience said.
Saneie himself stated that he still hopes to have a proper wedding to a woman his own age when he is older. He added, 'I told my mother that I wanted to get married because I really did want to. I'm happy that I married Helen – but I will go to school and study hard.'
Ceremony Details ¶
The ceremony took place with guests sharing a piece of cake. Helen donned the same dress as last year, and Saneie wore a silvery tuxedo. The young groom clutched Helen's hand as they repeated their vows.
The recovered account cited reporting by E! News.
