Men of the SA Defence Force in the province were urged to speak out on issues affecting them during a men’s conference at the army base’s hall. 
The guest speaker, a former soldier, an author and a survivor of sexual abuse, Macdonald Mailula, urged men to be aware of their weak points and find suitable ways of dealing with them.
“The reason I decided to honour the invite is that I am former militant, 44 Battalion, pathfinder, which is one of the hectic units in the force. I felt it was best for me to start communicating with my fellow militants. They are still serving and I am veteran in the force because I resigned. We must speak and do things together and assist one another to carry on despite our challenges,” he said.
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Mailula said he was a victim of sexual abuse. He said it was important for men to accept their brokenness and manage what they carry inside.
“Managing your own brokenness Men are also broken inside is the matter of the individual, finding his own mechanism on how to survive, because we are all unique and have unique ways of dealing with issues. My daughter, and thinking of her, gives me hope to carry on with life,” he said.
Tshepho Manabalala of Metropolitan lectured the attendees on economic challenges faced by South Africa, debt, increasing unemployment levels and ways to help them make informed decisions based on the economic status of the country.
“The day was full of information sharing and informing them about the status quo of economy, how it impacts them and how they can plan and navigate through it,” he said.
