Plans by the South African government to outlaw virginity testing for girls and young women have provoked outrage by South Africa's Zulu monarch, King Goodwill Zwelithini.
But Teboho Maitse, a member of South Africa's Commission on Gender Equality, described the test as "discriminatory, invasive of privacy, unfair, impinging on the dignity of young girls and unconstitutional".
The monarch has lashed out at the government for failing to consult him on the Children's Bill, which was recently passed by the National Assembly.
The Sunday Times newspaper reported that supporters of the Zulu king have vowed to defy the legislation that makes the tests illegal. They claim the practice is not only a long-standing cultural tradition in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, but also a valuable weapon in the fight against HIV/AIDS.
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