A 9 year old boy has renewed his wedding vows to a 62 year old woman after wanting to make the marriage official. Sanele Masilela has now become one of the world’s youngest grooms and originally married 62 year old Helen Shabangu after claiming that his dead ancestors told him too.
The ceremony took place in front of approximately 100 guests in the South African village of Ximhungwe, where the couple shared a kiss and a piece of cake. Sanele said, “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.
“When I’m older I will marry a lady my own age”.
Shockingly, the boy’s family have blessed the union, giving the bride a £500 gift and spending more than £1,000 on the ceremony itself. Villagers have branded the ceremony ‘sickening’ but Sanele’s family have defended it saying that the union was not legally binding.
Sanele’s mother, 47 year old Patience Masilela said, “Sanele was fine and he was happy about the ceremony last year and it what he wanted – he was not shy.
“He was just happy to get married, very excited and was not embarrassed about it. So much so he wanted to do it again.
“After the wedding last year people keep asking them question like will they live together, sleep together, have babies but I keep telling them that after the wedding everything went back to normal nothing changed”.
The bride, who is already married to long-term husband Albert is old enough to be Sanele’s grandmother and has five children aged between 28 and 38. She said, “I’m very happy that the boy chose me and my family support and understand that it is part of making ancestors happy.
“One day Sanele would grow normally and have family of his own and get married one day, all this ceremony is for making ancestors happy”.
Mrs Shabangu’s husband Albert said, “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”.
