South Africa could see a men's parliament - aimed at institutionalising a responsive men's movement to social and health issues in SA - by November this year.
That's the vision of the SA National Aids Council and the Takuwani Riime Men’s Movement which will convene a two day Men's Summit in Ballito‚ on the KwaZulu-Natal north coast on Friday.
Deputy President David Mabuza is set to deliver the keynote address on Friday in which he will focus on the role men and boys can play in combating the spread of HIV‚ TB‚ and STIs.
Participants will focus on drafting the Men Championing Change programme‚ which will aim to practically equip men to respond to the social challenges faced by South African communities.
“The summit aims to strengthen the capacity and coordination of the men’s civil society movement by creating entry points for grassroots activism and engagement in local communities‚” said Dr Matome Kganakga‚ SANAC men’s sector deputy chairperson.
The summit‚ hosted by the SANAC - which Mabuza chairs - will be under the banner “Takuwani Riime”‚ a Tshivenda expression meaning “let us stand up together”.
Takuwani Riime Men’s Movement was launched in August 2015 and has since conducted various events including Round-Table Dialogues‚ Men’s Marches and Men’s Parliament.
Kganakga said: “The summit is not just for men. Although the Takuwani Riime Men’s Movement seeks to mobilise men and men’s associations‚ our events are inclusive with participation from various stakeholders‚ particularly young boys‚ women and the LGBTIQA+ community”.
The summit will end on Saturday.
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