with news last week about what has been described as the first
traditional gay wedding in Africa. It was said to have taken place in
South Africa.
Below is a version of the report: “A pair of South
African men have tied the knot in what is believed to be the country’s first
traditional gay wedding. Tshepo Cameron Modisane and Thoba Calvin Sithol wore
traditional tribal costumes for the ceremony, in the town of KwaDukuza in
KwaZulu-Natal,
The newly-married couple, who are both 27 and have been
together for three years, made their vows in front of 200 guests. With this
ring: Tshepo Cameron Modisane and Thoba Calvin Sithol made history in what was
apparently the first-ever traditional African gay wedding.
The ceremony united traditions from both Mr Modisane’s Tswana
and Mr Sithole’s Zulu ancestry, including traditional dancing and the ritual
sacrifice of a cow to honour the two men’s ancestors, as well as an an exchange
of gifts between the two grooms’ families.
Tshepo Modisane, now Sithol, said: ‘I love Thoba so much, I’m
very excited we’re both Mr Sithol. There is an idea that being gay is against
being African, but being gay is as African as being black, so it’s part of our
culture and we are rooted in our culture.’ The couple have been together for
three years and will have a smaller, intimate ceremony in Johannesburg later
this year
The two also plan to have children through a surrogate. In
February Tshepo told Mamba Online: ‘We are so blessed to have supportive
families who care about us. Even though we are gay they still love us.
We also want our children to grow up in an environment where
they are loved greatly by both parents who appreciate them.’
Thoba’s mother
