“The problem is not men and masculinity, but it is wounded men with a distorted view of what masculinity is.” These are the words of Craig Wilkinson, the most sought after SA’s inspirational speaker and Dad Coach, when distinguishing between an ordinary Man and a real Man.
To address these wounded views and provide men with a proper view of masculinity, the Men of Valour Ministry hosted the first Mayibuye Indoda Men’s Empowerment Conference, on 17 May 2025, in Kagiso, at the Faith Community Sanctuary (FCS).
The aim and purpose of the Conference is to empower men with the knowledge to have the opportunity to address and deal with their daily challenges and create enabling environment for men to have a platform to openly discuss issues affecting them.
The multi-pronged session, dealt with issues ranging from academic, education, social ills, community safety and role of men as the heads of households, with the view of exposing men to a variety of platforms in dealing with issues related to masculinity and Gender based Violence as well as Femicide.
The facilitator Mkhulu Gongota, broke the ice and said a man is the head of the household and is responsible for making sure that his family has what they need to live a comfortable life.
This viewpoint exposed a variety of views from the floor with some men in the audiences expressing that the epidemic of crime and social disintegration that we are facing as a nation is primarily the result of men not being men, men not fulfilling the role they were designed to fulfil.
Speaker after speaker expressed views with most agreeing that many men with little hope of a better future beyond the bottom of the socio-economic rung, are often driven to vent their rage against those closest to them due to alcohol abuse.
Onica Mogomotsi, a Psychologist and a Kickboxer, spoke about how her father took care of the family after the passing of her mother at a tender age.
If men aren’t given proper validation from an older male role model, they will also grow up believing in the lies society tells us are true. She said her father played a mother-figure role while bring up the family. She said men should not allow masculinity as a way of dealing family issues.
She added that through her line of work, she is currently doing promotions on Men As Safety Promoters (MASP) in the province. An initiative by the Gauteng Department of Community Safety, tasked with addressing Gender-Based Violence in various communities across the province.
Arthur Zide, an academic stakeholder spoke about how men can use “options” at them to navigate the challenges they face and encouraged men to better their lives through education. While Mbulelo Gongota, of Gongota Creations Foundations, said the community plays a critical role in letting a boy-child-and-girl down to be community outcast.
Dr Joe Lister Mabuela, spoke about the importance of Marriage Counselling, its challenges and positives. He also encouraged men to be open minded in marriage as the divorce rate is increasing rapidly.
Men of Valor Ministry is a faith-based organisation intended to help men discover their unique strengths and talents which unlock God’s purpose for each of their lives and to give them the tools to confidently and courageously navigate the journey of fulfilling God’s plan for their lives.
Lungile Mahlaba concluded the session by indicating that the ministry will be visiting areas across the length and breath of Mogale City and the West Rand with the purpose of getting men under one roof on men’s issues.
Sipho None
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