The prevalence of gender-based violence in the Vhembe region, especially within the Thohoyandou policing area, where it has reached alarming proportions, has prompted a group of men from the Shovholwe Block at Itsani Tshisahulu to come together and form a united front against this scourge. On Saturday, 22 April, they met at the Nzumbululo Zion Church to launch the Shovholwe Men's Forum officially.
Stakeholders such as the SAPS, Tshisahulu traditional council, non-profit organisations such as Munna Ndi Nnyi, the Real Men Foundation, among others, were in attendance. An interim task team was elected during the meeting.
Shovholwe Block's civic chairperson, Mr Norman Matumba, said they were shocked by the high number of incidents where women and children were victims of abuse and killings. "We have not yet experienced killings here, but we felt we cannot wait for something bad to happen. We are meeting here as men with a destiny. We are creating a platform where men can meet and freely discuss whatever affects their daily lives. Men are faced with so many challenges, and they sometimes do not have anyone to share it with. The scourge of unemployment is hitting hard, and there is no peace in families. As a forum, we will seek companies and experts to hold workshops for our men, so they can learn new skills that can help them start their own businesses and earn a livelihood, thus taking some of the pressure off," he said.
During the launch, Munna Ndi Nnyi Men's Forum chairperson and founder Dr Bardwell Mufunwaini implored the men to lead exemplary lives in the communities where they live. Mufunwaini, who has been championing this cause for women and children for decades, said finding that men, who were supposed to take care of their families, were the ones killing their wives and children was quite disheartening. "Do not use our name as men to maim and kill women and children. You are not one of us. As men, let us be examples. As men, we commend the initiative taken by the men here at Shovholwe, and to them we say, 'go out there and preach the gospel of peace in the community,'" he said.
The newly elected task team chairperson, Mr Dovhani Mutavhatsindi, and his executives pledged to make the organisation work to the best of their ability.