9-Year-Old Boy Kisses 62-Year-Old Bride During Spiritual Wedding Ceremony in South Africa

Sanele Masilela also wed Helen Shabangu when he was just 8

By Lily Harrison Jul 24, 2014 11:29 PMTags
Disturbing Wedding, Sanele Masilela, Helen ShabanguDIMAKATSO MODIPA/Barcroft Media /Landov

Chances are you read our headline and are equal parts confused and disturbed by what you saw.

We're here to tell you that while we can clear up some of the facts at hand, we can't even begin to delve into how we feel about this entire scenario going down.

Furthermore, we can't help you remove the image of the bride and groom kissing on their "wedding day," so consider yourselves warned.

The world's youngest groom, Sanele Masilela, 9, kissed his 62-year-old bride, Helen Shabangu, in a spiritual ceremony in the northeastern town of Ximhungwe.

To be clear, the two didn't actually get married, but they walked down the aisle in front of over 100 friends and family.

And this isn't the first time the duo have "married" either, they first tied the proverbial knot last year.

Shabangu's actual husband, Alfred Shabangu, 66, was also on hand to support his wife. They have been married for several years and have five children together.

Alfred defended the event to local reporters by saying, "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."

Raymond Preston/Sunday Times/Gallo Images/Getty Images

Speaking about people talking, Sanele and Helen first got together because she believes that the boy's deceased ancestors told her to marry him.

The two wear wedding rings but do not live together full time.

Sanele's 47-year-old mother, Patience Masilela, told reporters, "It was nice to celebrate with a wedding once more. It was, after all, a calling from our ancestors. 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."