Bizarre ceremony: Nine-year-old boy marries 62-year-old woman...for the second time, in South Africa
SOUTH AFRICA (WITI) -- It's a marriage ceremony that has stunned both people in the South African village in which it occurred, and around the world.
A nine-year-old boy has become the world's youngest groom -- marrying a 62-year-old woman for the second time.
According to Mirror, nine-year-old Saneie Masilela kissed his wife during the ceremony and said he loves her -- despite their huge age gap. Some villagers have described the marriage as "sickening."
Mirror reports the two initially married last year.
Mirror reports nine-year-old Masilela has remarried Helen Shabangu -- a mother of five children between the ages of 28 and 38.
Their "re-marriage" ceremony took place in front of Helen Shabangu's long-term husband, who is 66. Mirror reports he says he has no problem with the marriage.
The nine-year-old boy's parents also have no problem with the marriage. In fact, Mirror reports they shelled out money for the bride and the ceremony.
Both families claim this marriage is a ritual -- after the young boy was apparently told by his dead ancestors to wed last year. The youngest of five children insisted on having this second wedding (a South African tradition) to make their marriage official.
The boy says he does want to marry someone his own age someday.
"One day Saneie would grow normally and have family of his own and get married one day, all this ceremony is for making ancestors happy. We are playing," Helen Shabangu said, according to Mirror.
Helen Shabangu and the boy do not live together -- but the boy's mother says the families are very close.
“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," the boy's mother said -- according to Mirror.
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