MEC Nompumelelo Hope addressing men that were present during the forum
By Lwazi-Raul Shongwe and Kopano Dibakwane
The role of men in society comes with a lot of responsibilities such as protecting and providing for their families at all cost, but little attention is given to the pressure that they face, which often leads to poor mental health due to the inability to express worries, anxiety, distress and other emotional discomforts.
Men will often resort to alcohol abuse as a form of escape, or they can go to the unfortunate extent of taking their own lives and that of their loved ones when the pressure becomes overwhelming.
The Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Land and Environmental Affairs(DARDLEA) in Mpumalanga, has taken the bold step to host the 2024 Men’s Forum in Middleburg on Tuesday 30 July, as a platform to assist men to talk amongst themselves and share their common struggles.
DARDLEA MEC, Nompumelelo Hlophe, briefly graced the event to provide motivation as well as to conduct a meet and greet with the attendees, wrote attending to other commitments.
According to a statement by DARDLEA, special guests included Motivational Speaker, Pastor Nigros Manana, who touched on the importance of discipline.
“ He(Pastor Manana)called on men to take care of their families, take care of themselves, to work hard and excel in everything they do, to run their own race and avoid competition or comparing themselves with others, because that puts them under unnecessary pressure,” said DARDLEA.
The Department said the general message of the day was to encourage men to open up and talk about issues that affect them in order to get help, maintain a healthy lifestyle and seek medical assistance when feeling unwell. speakers emerged from various organisations and government departments highlighting pertinent issues which were in line with the conference.
“ Bishop Nkabinde encouraged men to behave, saying their actions today can have dire repercussions in future, of which it’s something that some blame on generational curses,” said DARDLEA
Other speakers emerged from various government departments and organisations.
“ The Department of Health spoke about prostate cancer as a silent killer, while the Department of Home Affairs spoke about types of marriages and their implications. The Department of Social Development spoke about all forms of abuse,” DARDLEA said.
Organisations such as Old Mutual and Men Up NGO, spoke about financial awareness, gender identity and sexual orientation, respectively.
