By Staff Reporter
‘Fathers play a vital role in shaping their sons into confident, respectful, and successful adults who will take a lead in a fight against the plight of gender-based violence.’ These were utterances of the CEO and founder of the Timothy Mootane Foundation, Timothy Mootane, during ‘The Father and The Boy Child Campaign’ that took place on the 07 June at Nobody, Thakgalang village.
According to Mootane, this social developing initiative aimed to confront and dismantle harmful social norms and attitudes that are contributory to GBV and men’s mental health issues.
“We hosted this campaign aiming at empowering men to become active allies in the fight against GBV and to take responsibility for creating safer communities for everyone,” emphasised Mootane.
Mootane continued, adding that through this campaign their goal was to encourage men to speak openly about their emotions, challenges, and achievements as well as mending relationships between fathers and sons.
The event was graced by the presence of the South African Police Service, Radio Turf, TUT Polokwane Campus, Men’s Associates against Violence, the University of Limpopo and Bakgaga Ba Mothapo, among other dignitaries.
Throughout the campaign, powerful and compelling presentations about men’s mental health and wellness were made in commemoration of the 2025 men’s mental health awareness month.
The plague of mental health within the communities of Nobody and other areas in Limpopo province is common despite attempts by authorities to raise awareness.