eMalahleni men stand up against killing of women at Lynnville summit

Men across eMalahleni gathered at Lynnville Hall for an AME Church summit aimed at combating gender-based violence and creating a safe space for dialogue.

14 hours ago

Lindokuhle Ndhlovu 1 minute read

The men sang and engaged in meaningful discussions. Photo: Lindokuhle Ndhlovu

Men from eMalahleni gathered in numbers for a men’s summit hosted by the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church to take a stand against the killing of women in the city and beyond.

According to Nkululeko Goqo, one of the organisers, the summit, held on November 7 at Lynnville Hall, was hosted to create a safe space for men to talk and learn from one another.

“After seeing everything that is happening in our communities, with men continuing to kill women, we decided to stand up,” Goqo said.

“We see that men don’t have a channel where they can vent. So we’re creating this platform so that they can come and talk, while also learning how men should carry themselves and how to care for their loved ones instead of hurting them.”

The event featured a range of speakers, including Bishop Mkhwanazi, who shared a word of encouragement, as well as representatives from the Department of Health, Standard Bank, and Momentum.

Goqo commended the youth for showing up, noting that younger men are often implicated in these acts of violence.

“We are happy because men came in numbers, particularly the youth. Sitting alone as adults doesn’t help when it is the youth who are mostly involved in these brutal killings of women,” he said.

Goqo further encouraged men to always speak out and seek help if something is troubling them, rather than resort to violence and commit acts they will later regret.