Sunday Times, South Africa - Sunday, January 17, 1999
Landiwe Dlamini
Of 200 teenagers already tested in Ermelo and the nearby township of Wesselton, 196 were virgins, said John Mabaso, the chairman of the Vukuzakhe Youth Club. "The teenagers volunteer to be tested and we reward them with virginity certificates to encourage them to continue behaving themselves," he said.
The club employs the help of well-known KwaZulu-Natal virginity tester Fikile Mhlongo, who was responsible for reintroducing the old African custom in that province.
The founder of the club, Catherine Mabaso, said parents in the area had welcomed the initiative.
"We want the children to be aware of the consequences of indulging in sex before reaching adulthood," she said.
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