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FILE | Men’s legs.
Some South African men have shared their experiences ranging from society’s expectations, economic pressure and the challenges of evolving in a changing world.
This comes as the country joins the world in celebrating International Men’s Day on Wednesday. The day highlights the positive value men bring to the world, their families and communities.
Pretoria teacher Sammy Makhubo says being a man in South Africa is a complex and heavy experience.
Makhubo says, “As a man ,we carry a lot of pride and there is always pain because we hide our emotions, especially as black men in South Africa. So, I think for me, being man comes with a lot of responsibilities from culture and tradition because you are seen as indoda (a man), provider, the head of the family, the leader, but as we look in today’s context with Cyril’s economy, we are struggling as men, because jobs are scarce, the cost of living is high now, because of you look at inflation now, it’s higher than the salary increments.”
AUDIO| Makhubo shares his thoughts:
‘PRIVILEGE AND RESPONSIBILITY’
Gauteng resident Tim Moloi says being a man in the country is both a privilege and a deep responsibility as strength is no longer measured by how loud we speak, but by how well we listen to women, our children, our communities and even to ourselves.
He says, “Being a man now means unlearning some of what we were taught growing up, that emotion is weakness, that leadership means control or that love must be tough. It means redefining what power looks like, using it to uplift, not to dominate. In a country that’s still healing from inequality and violence, being a man means choosing peace every day in our homes, our workplaces, our friendships. It’s about showing up, being accountable, protecting, providing, but also nurturing and mentoring … It’s about legacy and not what we leave behind in our bank accounts, but what we build in people’s lives.”
Moloi adds that being a man now means embracing balance between strength, humility, ambition with empathy and tradition with progress.
AUDIO | Radio DJ Hloni Ramosolo shares thoughts:
‘A LOT IS EXPECTED’
Free State resident Seiso Jwele says a lot is expected from him as a man in South Africa.
He says, “As a man one is still expected to protect and love your family, love your kids, provide and teach them discipline even under the current economic difficulties that our country is facing. A lot is expected from us, and we have a lot of people on our shoulders depending on us, both at home and at our workplaces. Yet, we are expected not to be vulnerable or show any sign of weakness, and this is a results of number of men having depression and other mental illness or worse committing suicide.”
