Thousands of people gathered on Tuesday morning in an open field on Madiba Street in the capital at the start of the 100 Men March.
All were there to support a good cause: ending violence against women and children.
Some showed up in their church uniforms‚ while others wore their work uniforms‚ including members of the police.
After a peaceful walk from downtown Pretoria to the Union Buildings‚ people gathered on the famous lawns where the stage had been set for speeches by government officials‚ leaders of faith-based organisations‚ sportsmen‚ business leaders and other notable citizens.
The police brass band opened proceedings with the national anthem.
The #100MenMarch is organised by government to rally the nation against the ongoing scourge of abuse towards women and children.
Lechesa Tsenoli‚ the deputy speaker of parliament‚ urged men from all walks of life to never use violence to resolve disagreements. "It doesn't solve problems‚” Tsenoli told the growing crowd at the march.
“When we become violent it doesn't solve the problem‚ it simply complicates things. The impact on children is huge. The impact on society as a whole is bad. It teaches society that this is how you solve problems. It is not worth it!”
“We can benefit a lot more by using persuasion. Persuade and be persuaded ourselves as men. That is a better‚ more humane way of handling things‚" urged Tsenoli.
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