Men are broken on the inside, too
MBOMBELA - The men of the SA Army Base Mpumalanga were urged to speak out about issues affecting them during a men’s conference at the army base's hall.
The guest speaker, a former soldier, an author and a survivor of sexual abuse, Macdonald Mailula, urged men to be aware of their weak points and find suitable ways of dealing with them. “The reason I decided to honour the invite is that I am former militant, 44 Battalion, pathfinder, which is one of the hectic units in the force. I felt it was best for me to start communicating with my fellow militants. They are still serving and I am veteran in the force because I resigned. We must speak together and do things together and assist one another on how to carry on despite our challenges.”
Mailula said he had been a victim of sexual abuse. He said it was important for men to accept their brokenness and manage what they carry inside of them.
“Men are also broken inside and have unique ways of dealing with issues. My daughter, and thinking of her, gives me hope to carry on with life,” he said.
Various topics, including the types of domestic violence and issues at the men’s clinic, were discussed at length.
Tshepho Manabalala of Metropolitan lectured the attendees on economic challenges faced by South Africa, debt, increasing unemployment levels and ways to help them in making informed decisions based on the economic status of the country.
“The day was full of information sharing and informing them about the status quo of economy, how it impacts them and how they can plan and navigate through it,” he said.
Maj Lucky Johannes Madisha, who had been part of this initiative a few years ago, said conference helped in tackling issues that affect men in private. “The motto of this event is ‘One man at a time’. I would really like to see it being an annual conference especially for men in uniform and beyond,” he said.