Organisation in eMbalenhle aims to develop positive male role models

The Men’s Voice organisation in eMbalenhle held International Men’s Day celebrations at the Extension 17 sports field on November 14.

International Men’s Day is celebrated annually on November 19, which it is a global awareness day for many issues that men face, including parental alienation, abuse, homelessness, suicide, and violence.

The objectives of celebrating International Men’s Day are set out in the Six Pillars of International Men’s Day.

It is also an occasion to celebrate boys’ and men’s lives, achievements and contributions to society. According to the organisation’s social worker, Sakhile Mazibuko, men in eMbalenhle are faced with many challenges, including lack of respect from their families because of being unemployed which leads to drug and alcohol abuse.

“Men should start getting their confidence and stop hiding behind alcohol and drugs. We understand that unemployment in our country is a major challenge and if a man fails to provide for a family, he loses his confidence in life because sometimes even their children become disrespectful towards their unemployed father.

“It is the responsibility of both parents to support each other for their children to learn on how to build a good family. A lack of co-operation between parents leads to a broken home and that affects the children’s future because they will do what their parents did.

“Some cases of gender-based violence emanate from the personal background of how that person was groomed. Parents, especially men, have a huge responsibility towards their children. They must stop leaving their responsibilities to their wives,” said Mazibuko.

Mazibuko said their aim as the organisation is host a men’s and boys’ dialogue that will put parents and their children together to encourage communication between fathers and their sons.

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Mazibuko said the reason they want to bring the dialogue is because they noticed that some men don’t communicate with their sons on how they need to behave or to differentiate between good and bad.

Pastor Nkosinathi Mahlangu said the celebration of men is a chance for every man to do self introspection to see where he goes wrong.

“Men should stop pointing fingers about their failures. We should look back on what contributed to our failures and we will get answers.”

Mahlangu said one’s background can also determine your future.

“If you begin to behave badly at school by disrespecting teachers and not doing your school work, you might think you are clever and impressing your peers, but you are destroying your own future.

“Then you leave school and maybe get a job then get married and have children. If you then behave in the same way you did when you were at school, you will lose your job and become unemployed. Your children will begin to disrespect you as you did to your teachers.”

Mahlangu said that was his life before he became a pastor.

“I was misbehaving. Every weekend my friend and I were grooving while we were learners, having a nice time and forgetting about our school work.

“We thought we were clever at the time, but life humbled me because I impregnated two girls, adding two lives in my impoverished family.

“Then I decided to commit suicide to runaway from my responsibility but fortunately enough, I saw a church tent that was not far from home.

“I attended it and the preaching there helped me a lot because the preacher told the congregation that his backgound was similar to mine and how he changed it before it was too late,” said Mahlangu.

Mahlangu said if men were to be honest with themselves, they will know what led them to their current situation and they need to ensure that their children do not continue the curse.

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