Swazi girls will be paid R200 a month if they abstain from sex.
King, Mswati III, has reportedly approved benefits scheme in a bid to curb HIV across the country. Government aims at paying monthly allowance to virgin girls in other for them to abstain from sex.
According to a report on IOL, World Bank money will finance the programme.
“The government will pay girls the allowances so they will have money to purchase necessities and can turn down money offered to them for sex,” said Thabsile Dlamini, a health care worker in Manzini.
A pilot programme will be conducted to test the effectiveness of weaning teen girls from older “sugar daddies” who offer money in exchange for sexual favours.
Details have to be worked out such as how the girls will be monitored to ensure they are not having sex.
Daily Mail says a source with the royal family denied that the financial payouts to girls to avoid sex were designed to ensure an HIV-free population of Swazi virgins who could be King Mswati’s future wives.
The polygamous king has 15 wives.
-sundayworld