Couples reminded that marriage is a two-way street
South African Marriage Week is celebrated every year from September 1 to 7.
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Families South Africa (Famsa) East Rand commemorated Marriage Week on September 7 at the Assemblies of God in Joe Slovo informal settlement.
The vision of Marriage Week is to inspire and motivate couples to focus on the well-being of their marriages.
Event organiser Suzan Mkwanazi, Famsa social worker, said: “We aim to educate couples on challenges facing marriages in the new millennium and equip them with the knowledge to tackle them.”
Esther Lenkoane, Women’s Desk chairperson, advised women to do away with 50/50 marriages and respect their husbands.
“We are living in a time where the rate of divorce has increased due to women who don’t submit to their husbands.
“It is important to respect, love and serve your husband the way he deserves to be treated,” Lenkoane said.
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Lazarus Mashiloane, Famsa director, highlighted the qualities of a man.
“The responsibility of men is to make their women happy at all times. In this world, there are two men, real men and fake men.
“You are not a man because you wear trousers or because of how many children you have. You are distinguished as real men by the things you do.”
Mashiloane said men should protect their families from abuse and hunger.
“As a man, you must provide for the needs of your family and should never lay a hand on your wife.
“Never speak to your wife in a degrading way because when you do you are decreasing the value of your family.”
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He encouraged men to be leaders, strategists, good communicators and compromisers.
The speaker of the day, Deli Nkosi, who is a motivational coach, highlighted a marriage is a two-way street.
“You’re not marrying someone to control or dominate them. When you love someone you look beyond their mistakes. When you start getting used to someone, be careful that their value doesn’t disappear on why you fell in love with that person from the start.
“Revenge is dangerous in a relationship and. Also, people mustn’t provoke their partners, it is wise to think before you say anything.”
Nkosi advised married people to talk and share thoughts on what they don’t like in their relationships.
“Marriage is a sensitive thing that needs to be handled with care. If something is missing in your marriages try and find it by expressing your feelings and searching for the ultimate goal of the marriage,” Nkosi said.
Famsa services include marriage counselling, anger management, parenting skills, domestic violence, trauma debriefing and divorce counselling, among others.
To find out more about Famsa you may call their office on 011 892 4271.
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