'Ukuthwala' has been incorrectly named and abused, it is not abduction: commission

The practice of 'ukuthwala' was being abused by some men, the Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities said.

Commission head Thoko Mkhwanazi-Xaluva said 'ukuthwala' was between two consenting adults who loved each other, wanted to be together, but were being hindered by issues such as collapsed lobola negotiations between their families.

The woman's family would then be alerted that she was at her lover's home willingly and call for the negotiations to continue.

But, Mkhwanazi-Xaluva said men were now abducting young girls and calling this 'ukuthwala'.

She was speaking in Sandton where her organisation was briefing the media on their latest reports of' ukuthwala'.

"As long as we call it ukuthwala, it won't stop," she said.

"It needs to be called jack-rolling and abduction... Name it correctly," she said.