SA men all need to be Kabelo Chabalalas
His message – respect yourself and respect others, especially women and girls – is what this country needs to hear.
Kabelo Chabalala poses for a picture at the Pretoria News offices in the Pretoria CBD, 20 June 2018, Pretoria. Picture: Jacques Nelles
South Africa’s dysfunctional society is the result of many things, including the legacy of apartheid, the breakdown of family life and aggressive patriarchy.
The twisted way we live often manifests itself in violence against women and children. And the perpetrators are, overwhelmingly, men, leading to the oft-asked question: what is wrong with our men?
It is encouraging to see a young man, from a poor community north of Tshwane, trying to break that cycle of abuse and abandonment by helping to put boys and young men on the path to fulfilled, useful lives.
Kabelo Chabalala grew up without a father – he left home when he was young – which meant he was raised by women … and came to respect the role that women play in society. He also saw that the absence of positive father figures is the cause of much distress.
Founding the Young Men Movement – starting by getting boys to read and expand their horizons – Chabalala has begun to make a difference in his area and further afield, across South Africa and the African continent.
His message – respect yourself and respect others, especially women and girls – is what this country needs to hear.
We need more like him.
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