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MBABANE – You can never own a woman. No matter how much you have spent on her!
This is one of the catchphrases used by The Gentlemen’s Talk Eswatini to inculcate a spirit of tolerance in men and convince them to refrain from gender-based violence G%9 .
The Gentlemen’s Talk is a non-profitmaking organisation 1P2 , which seeks to engage men of all ages to discuss about contributing factors to their behaviour.
'uring the engagements, they discuss social issues the boychild and men face in society and eTuip them on life skills to overcome the challenges without violence. The founder of the organisation, Mfundo 'lamini is a &haplain at His MaMesty’s &orrectional Services, who works alongside rehabilitated former offenders. He said the idea to form The Gentlemen’s Talk was born of an innate calling to contribute to efforts aimed at curbing the societal scourge of gender based violence G%9 and gangsterism.
'lamini is determined to lead the organisation to sit down, in-person, with boys and men in royal kraals, schools, ball games, conference rooms and any other conducive platforms, Must to steer them away from substance abuse, gangsterism and general hostility towards women.
Subject
2n the subMect of G%9, he said a high number of men become hostile to women because they could not come to terms with the amount they had spent on their partners. ³It is common for a man to feel that he has invested a lot of money on a women, to the e[tent that if they were to part ways, he would feel like a total loser,´ he said.
'lamini said it was such a feeling that caused the man to resort to violence as means to compensate for the loss.
³ He said the boys and men were targets of the campaigns because in almost every gruesome act of violence, a man was behind. ³In at least per cent of murders, there are high chances that a boy or man is involved.´ $ctive gangs known as Inombolo and other notorious gangs such %enMamins and K s are also some of the reasons that gave rise to the formation of The Gentlemen’s Talk. These gangs have been cited in murders, robberies and a spate of housebreaking activities in areas such as MvutMini, Mahlanya, Makholweni, Kwaluseni and other peri-urban areas. 'lamini said the organisation devoted much of its time sensitising young men against Moining such gangs. The organisation aims to reduce the following: ◗ Increase of GBV cases in the society. Substance and drug abuse. Increase of crime rate in the society. Men’s involvement in the increase of HIV. ◗ ◗ ◗ GT promotes the following; ◗ Living in harmony in marriage. ◗ Effective fathering gender equality men to know their status vaccination entrepreneurship. Programme activities Lisango (men’s meeting), boychild meetings in schools. Donating toiletry hampers to school boys. ◗ ◗ Contact details Founder Mfundo Dlamini 7651 1918/ 7928 6713 e-mail: mehlulimlangeni@gmail.com ³:e tell them it may be easy to Moin the gangs, but there may be no way out, apart from death.´ 'lamini said one of the plans by his organisation was to convene engagements at MvutMini where boys and men would be sensitised on the conseTuences of gangsterism. The slogan used in such engagement is ³I have done it, it didn’t work, don’t do it.´ His organisation wants to bring the ancient old men’s engagement known as lisango, where men used to engage with older men on societal norms and general behaviours. ³:e go to communities where we cook cow heads kudla inhloko and sit around with men to discuss male behavioural patterns and take Tuestions from them.´ He said their first encounter with boys and men was at Ebene]er, a small rural community of Maphungwane in the /ubombo 5egion. ³:e managed to draw men to the engagement session there. :e then went to Ka-Shali at the )ree Evangelical &hurch where we managed to meet over men,´ he said. 'lamini said the cow heads and other essentials were donated by the church. 5ecently, they have visited Mahlabatsini, in Matsapha. Meanwhile, another encounter was at the Park Hotel where the engagement with facilitators made up of Scouts, Scripture 8nion and The Gentlemen’s Talk representatives had been sponsored by the Swatini $ction Group $gainst $buse S:$G$$ . He said under their education wing, they had aspirations to train teachers on how to deal with boys who display unruly behaviour. In the same manner that girls occasionally get assisted with necessities such as sanitary pads, Gentlemen’s Talk also wants to give toiletries to boys such as deodorants, toothpaste and toothbrushes. ³:e have observed that some of the anger in men is caused by the lack of such necessities. :hen they become a laughing stock for mouth odour or armpit, they get agitated and are prone to acts of violence,´ he said. 2ne of the areas the organisation specialises on is parenting. It believes that if parenting was done properly, then there would not be too many men with unbecoming behaviour. He mentioned that other motivational speakers such as Pastor &lement 'lamini of the 8niversity of Eswatini and former rehabilitated offenders are usually asked to Moin the sessions to speak to the men and boys. The organisation also enMoys the support of comedians such as 'r Shakes and Mcola /ohlebako.Engagement