The8 Year-Old Boy Marries 61 Year-Old Woman

This is Ridiculous, an eight year-old school boy Sanele Masilela weds a woman who is old enough to be his grandmother, Helen Shabangu, in south Africa.

 According to the boy, he married the old woman because the ghost of his dead ancestor told him to. This happened over the weekend. Huffington Post reports that he married Helen in accordance with the wishes of his dead ancestors, and his family provided Helen with £500 and paid a further £1,000 for the celebration.

The wedding ceremony surprised the whole family and the community but the family said it was a ritual and not legally binding. The couple did not sign a marriage certificate and do not have to live together. They have both returned to their normal lives.

Patience Masilela 46-year-old mum, the mother of the groom, Sanele Masilela told Huffington Post that there was nothing wrong with the wedding and her son was “happy to get married and very excited”. She added that it was her son’s late grandfather who asked him to get married “This is the first time this has happened in the family. Sanele was named after his grandfather who has never had a white wedding before he died so asked Sanele to get married. He chose Helen because he loves her. By doing this we made the ancestors happy. If we hadn’t done what my son had asked then something bad would have happened in the family.“

Little Sanele also added by saying he would have a “proper” wedding to a woman his own age when he is older. “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,”