South Africa is rapidly becoming a fatherless society with men behaving like monsters towards women and children.
This lament was heard at the launch of the SAPS Mthatha Cluster’s Men For Change forum over the weekend.
Mthatha is the first of 42 forums to be formed in the province.
The forums seek to address a range of ills experienced by the men in the police service, mainly domestic violence, criminal tendencies, and resistance to gender equality and transformation.
Inkolo KaNtu Traditional Movement spokesman Loyiso Nqevu said: “We have become dangerous beasts. Women and children feel unsafe around men. Only when we restore our moral fibre as men, will we be respected, loved and trusted. We need to transform as men and see women as people to treasure, not to abuse.”
Safety and liaison district director Fikile Hintsa, pointed to a crisis of male identity and a decline in fatherhood.
Hintsa said: “South Africa is rapidly becoming an absentee father or fatherless society. The influence of fathers in families has significantly declined since democracy.”
The corrosion of fatherhood was a huge underlying cause of many of SA society’s major ills, he added.
Research indicated that about 30% of South African children are born into single-parent homes and in black communities that figure rose to 68%.
“Fatherless children” compared to “fathered children” were two to three times more likely to drop out of high school, and become teen mothers and “juvenile delinquents”.
“Fatherless children are at a greater risk of drug- and alcohol-abuse, mental illness, suicide, poor education, and criminality.”
He said over 50% of all children staying with single mothers lived in poverty, and while children living with two parents were on average six times better off.
“Child abuse is significantly more likely to occur in single parent homes than that of intact families and 63% of youth suicides are from fatherless homes,” said Hintsa.
He urged men to change. “You have the power today to reset your boundaries, restore your image, start afresh with renewed values and rebuild.”
Mthatha Women’s Network cluster champion Colonel Bongiwe Fikela said the forum was established by both the women’s network and committed menfolk in the SAPS.
“The two structures will work together in dealing with domestic- and gender-based violence, gender equality and transformation.”
Fikela said: “It is degrading that a high number of awaiting-trial women prisoners are raped in police holding cells by policemen.”
Dan Tomodi, Ngangelizwe police station’s administrative clerk, was elected as the first Mthatha Men For Change cluster champion.
The forum’s provincial champion, Major Mthuthuzeli Kilimane, said the Mthatha structure would assist in setting up forums across the province.
Forum raises concern over fatherless society
This lament was heard at the launch of the SAPS Mthatha Cluster’s Men For Change forum over the weekend.
Mthatha is the first of 42 forums to be formed in the province.
The forums seek to address a range of ills experienced by the men in the police service, mainly domestic violence, criminal tendencies, and resistance to gender equality and transformation.
Inkolo KaNtu Traditional Movement spokesman Loyiso Nqevu said: “We have become dangerous beasts. Women and children feel unsafe around men. Only when we restore our moral fibre as men, will we be respected, loved and trusted. We need to transform as men and see women as people to treasure, not to abuse.”
Safety and liaison district director Fikile Hintsa, pointed to a crisis of male identity and a decline in fatherhood.
Hintsa said: “South Africa is rapidly becoming an absentee father or fatherless society. The influence of fathers in families has significantly declined since democracy.”
The corrosion of fatherhood was a huge underlying cause of many of SA society’s major ills, he added.
Research indicated that about 30% of South African children are born into single-parent homes and in black communities that figure rose to 68%.
“Fatherless children” compared to “fathered children” were two to three times more likely to drop out of high school, and become teen mothers and “juvenile delinquents”.
“Fatherless children are at a greater risk of drug- and alcohol-abuse, mental illness, suicide, poor education, and criminality.”
He said over 50% of all children staying with single mothers lived in poverty, and while children living with two parents were on average six times better off.
“Child abuse is significantly more likely to occur in single parent homes than that of intact families and 63% of youth suicides are from fatherless homes,” said Hintsa.
He urged men to change. “You have the power today to reset your boundaries, restore your image, start afresh with renewed values and rebuild.”
Mthatha Women’s Network cluster champion Colonel Bongiwe Fikela said the forum was established by both the women’s network and committed menfolk in the SAPS.
“The two structures will work together in dealing with domestic- and gender-based violence, gender equality and transformation.”
Fikela said: “It is degrading that a high number of awaiting-trial women prisoners are raped in police holding cells by policemen.”
Dan Tomodi, Ngangelizwe police station’s administrative clerk, was elected as the first Mthatha Men For Change cluster champion.
The forum’s provincial champion, Major Mthuthuzeli Kilimane, said the Mthatha structure would assist in setting up forums across the province.
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