Thousands of men from across the province today (Friday, 5 August 2011) gathered to take part in the Provincial Men’s Imbizo held in Pietermaritzburg.
“We are here to say let the men’s voices be heard in our communities,” said KwaZulu-Natal Premier Dr Zweli Mkhize.
Dr Mkhize said there are problems facing our communities which will not be resolved by coming up with new laws, but can only be dealt with when communities come together to discuss them.
“When we talk about women’s rights, some men think this means the emasculation or the disempowerment of men. This is not true, because all nations that prosper can only achieve this through mutual respect and working together of both men and women,” said Dr Mkhize.
Mkhize said we need to come to an understanding that there are roles for each and everyone of us in society, regardless of gender.
He made reference to Mkabayi, the daughter of Inkosi Jama - the founding fathers of the Zulu nation – who was able to take decision that even men could not take in order to see the advancement of the Zulu nation, regardless of being a woman.
“Some of the problems that are big challenges in our community continue just because there is no one who is helping the younger generations as they grow. Sometimes all it took was members of the community coming together to give advise and to reprimand when things get out of hand,” said Dr Mkhize.
He said in the past, there were kinds of mistakes that one would not dare make, out of fear of bringing disrepute to his peers.
“Young people are dying in droves, and this is largely due to HIV infections. Men need to be in the forefront of this fight against HIV infections because if men look after themselves, there won’t be women infected.
“Many women end up contracting the virus, even though they have never left their matrimonial home. This means that some men find themselves in situations and bring the virus back home,” said Dr Mkhize.
Dr Mkhize also spoke about rampant teenage pregnancies, which often result in abortions.
“I seriously doubt that a woman would opt for an abortion if her partner were to say ‘I will come to your family and we’ll discuss how we deal with the matter’,” he said.
“Some men want to be feared and to be known as notorious. That is not how a real man behaves. What sets you apart as a real man, is how you plan your things and how you care for your family,” said MEC for Economic Development Mike Mabuyakhulu.
Enquiries:
Regi Khumalo
Cell: 079 751 6108
E-mail: regi.khumalo@yahoo.com
Ndabezinhle Sibiya
Cell: 082 375 4742
