Kathorus women discuss Women’s Month

Kathorus Mail had a chat with different women around the Kathorus area (young, old and church women) to hear what they have to say about Women’s Month.

Nokuthula Motsitsi (22), Mfundo Park Section 30

She attends Mthombowamakholwa Church in Vosloorus. She says, “So many cases have been reported where women abuse their children just because they want to impress their men. Some women even punish their children by sending them to bed on empty stomach. I wonder what kind of women those are. Women who behave like that make me sick.”

Granny Manala (23), the Glen Ville Estate

She attends Merciful Worshipers in Katlehong. She says, “Women must work hand in hand and stop gossiping each other’s looks. What makes a woman is what is inside her, not her outside appearance. Women must love their kids and make them their priority in life and protect them from abusive men. Women must act like chickens protecting their babies. Some women find happiness in drinking because they are treated badly by their husbands. What angers me the most is that there are those women who still believe that real men are those who are control freaks. If a man is gentle and caring women take advantage of him. They believe that a real man is an abusive one.”

Nonkonzo Mashebela (23) Katlehong, Nhlapho Section

She visits different churches because she does not belong to any church around here as she comes from the Eastern Cape. She says, “I am only 23 years old and would like to see men taking their women seriously and giving them the respect they deserve. Stop abusing and assaulting them. There is nothing that I hate more than seeing a woman with blue eyes from an assault by a man who claims to love her.” said Mashebela.

Zaider Lawlor (27) Vosloorus

Goes to Act of Faith Community Church. “Women are the most valuable assets in our country and in the whole world. They play a vital role in the house and in the church. They can be mothers and also be fathers in the absence of a father at home. They can also be pastors. I believe women should be considered heads of the household not men, because women can take care of everything in a home. If a woman dies before a man, a home falls apart. But if a man dies first a woman can run the home perfectly. Young women must respect their mothers because if they tell them not to something it’s because they know what they are talking about as they have been through that stage.”

Martha Kinela (40) Mfundo Park

Attends Mthombowamakholwa Church in Vosloorus. “Women must set an example for their children. They must not forget to be faithful to their husbands because if they are faithful they will gain trust from their partners and not experience abuse. Women in churches must try to partner with one another to start their own businesses. If women stick to churches, churches always have ideas as to how to help women to start their own business,” said Kinela.

Sihle Shuma (47) Vosloorus Marimba Section 4

“I believe that women need to start doing things for themselves and stop depending on men because if you depend a lot on men you become a burden to them. Once you become a burden on a man, he will look down upon you. When that happens you will lose your value as a woman,” said Sihle.

Pastor Dimakatso Mamadima (53), Vosloorus

Goes to World of Plenty Ministries. She says, “I don’t want to entertain the thought that women need to be respected only during the month of August. I think women should be respected and be treated like important assets 365 days a year. God created women to be like a bone. The bone is important because no body can stand if there is no bone in the body.

In the book of Proverbs God spoke to King Solomon and said, ‘Son, listen to your mother.’ It means God trusted what Solomon’s mother wanted to tell his son. It means God trusted the wisdom of the woman. Men must go back to where God put them and women as well. There must be no 50/50. I from the bottom of my heart salute women for what they did in 1956 but they must go back to where God put them. Women were born out of the first Adam (man) then Jesus came to fulfil what God created (woman out of man) and planted love so that they will love and respect one another. Lastly women must submit to men as the word of God says. This thing about women being an equal to men I don’t understand. It is not something that we need to encourage in our churches.”

Charmaine Papo (50) Vosloorus Ext 30

She feels pain because women have to tolerate abuse because they have no choice. They have no jobs and must rely on their abusive husbands to survive. She says, “If there are kids involved women can tolerate everything, even abuse, because they want their children to have someone who supports them even if that person does not treat them well. Unemployed women in churches make a good living because they unite and form groups to support each another. They can empower themselves by sewing and knitting jerseys. This can help to restore the value of women.”