A South African mayor has defended her controversial policy of offering university scholarships to female students if they can prove their virginity and keep it for the duration of the study period. The mayor of the uThukela municipality, Dudu Mazibuko, who introduced the “Maiden’s Bursary Awards” said it makes good sense and is not meant as a judgment on those who are ineligible. “The scholarship is not a reward but a lifelong investment in the life of a girl,” she said. “We are also not condemning those who’ve made different choices because we accommodate them in other scholarships.” The mayoral council offers more than 100 scholarships, 16 of which have been given to virgin female students. “To us, it’s just to say thank you for keeping yourself and you can still keep yourself for the next three years until you get your degree or certificate,” Mazibuko said, “as long as the child can produce a certificate that she is still a virgin.” One young woman who received such a scholarship is 18-year-old Thubelihle Dlodlo, who defended the conditions of the award. She is required to undergo regular virginity tests but says she does not mind. In Zulu culture, virginity testing