The Impact of Ukuthwala on the Schooling and Livelihood of a Girl Child: A Case of the eMangwaneni Tribe in Bergville, KwaZulu-Natal

Abstract The incidents of the abduction of young girls who are forced into marriage by older men under the pretext of the ukuthwala cultural practice have been on the rise in recent years. This study sought to investigate the impact of ukuthwala cultural practice on the schooling and livelihood of a girl child. The findings of this study revealed that girl children who are forced into marriages are deprived of their learning opportunities, innocence and childhood, they are exposed to preventable health risks, and also fall into a trap of early pregnancies, domestic violence and as a result simply drop out of school.