High time to change the way boys are brought up

Millions of families across the globe celebrated Mother's Day at the weekend.  While it is not a public holiday, Mother's Day  is acknowledged in many countries as it provides us with an opportunity  to  honour motherhood and  the influence of mothers in society. 

Although most South Africans face economic challenges, exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic, many  people could be seen making a last-minute rush to buy a present for their mother at the weekend.  Other families organised lunches and brunches to appreciate the  role mothers play in their lives.

Sadly, the same could not be said for 68-year-old Buyiswa Rayi in Ginsburg, who  was killed, allegedly by her son, on Mother's Day. Instead of celebrating motherhood, Rayi's heartbroken family is trying to puzzle out why a son could take his mother's life.

Tragically, we have had to become almost used to cowardly men killing their wives and girlfriends. But it is rare to hear of someone killing their own parent. 

A neighbour claims  Rayi  and her son fought over money  on Saturday. We hope it is not the  same misunderstanding that led to the killing of Rayi because at the age of 36 why would this man continue to be dependent on his mother? Worse still that the slaying happened on a day when Rayi, like mothers the world over, was meant to be saluted, held up and honoured. 

For us in the Eastern Cape, it rakes up painful memories of the killing of UCT student Uyinene Mrwetyana, boxer Leighandre Jegels and East London resident Angelique Clarke-Abrahams within a few days of each other in 2019, all while SA was celebrating women's month. 

Men have been butchering women for far too long. It cannot be allowed that these incidents become mere statistics.  We hope police will be thorough in building their case against whoever killed Rayi. Citizens are tired of the way cases go round in circles and end up without a conviction. 

Lawmakers need to come up with harsh  legislation  for those who dare take a life, but more especially the lives of helpless women. It cannot be allowed that women still live in fear in a democratic country.

As a society we must inculcate in our boys that our mothers are special. After all, without them we would not be here.