Community groups in Johannesburg are confronting gender-based violence by engaging men in honest conversations and training on positive masculinity. Father A Nation runs workshops that help men process emotions and learn non-violent behaviours. The push comes amid renewed alarm after 12 women were found dead in Ekurhuleni and national data showing hundreds of women killed and many more surviving attempted murder. Organisers say government measures are insufficient and stress that every man must play a role.
South African Men Mobilise To End Violence Against Women: 'Every Man Must Play A Part'
Kgomotso Mathekga says a lack of male role models is fuelling violence against women in his neighbourhood [Christian Parkinson/ BBC]
In a narrow lane of Johannesburg's Organic Market informal settlement, a group of men meets to confront a painful reality: gender-based violence that many say can only be tackled if men accept responsibility and change how they behave.
Community-Led Efforts
At the centre of the circle outside a local tavern stands Itumeleng Stephen Tamaga—known as Bra Steve—raising his fist and calling on men to stand together against femicide and abuse. He is the local organiser for Father A Nation, a non-profit that runs workshops across South Africa to promote positive masculinity and teach non-violent ways of relating.
Bra Steve says: "We must restore dignity to the men around here" [Christian Parkinson/ BBC]
'I witness men hitting women all the time,' says Kgomotso Mathekga, 30. 'Especially when they are both drunk. I once had an argument with my girlfriend and I grabbed and slapped her. Now I feel pain. We broke up and I no longer see my child.'
Why It Matters
The meeting comes amid renewed alarm after the discovery of 12 women’s bodies over three months in parts of Ekurhuleni near Johannesburg. National statistics underscore the scale of the crisis: between April and June this year authorities recorded 5,427 homicides, of which 569 were women. The South African Human Rights Commission reports that, in that quarter, an average of six women were killed each day and 1,052 women survived attempted murder.
A 2022 study from the Human Sciences Research Council found that more than 35% of South African women had experienced physical or sexual violence, often at the hands of intimate partners.
Craig Wilkinson tells the group to "choose what kind of man you want to be" [Christian Parkinson/ BBC]
Grassroots Approach
Craig Wilkinson, founder of Father A Nation, describes the group's method: 'We get men to talk, to process their feelings. As they do, healing begins. The second phase is teaching and training in positive masculinity. We ultimately hope this will eliminate the scourge of gender-based violence.'
Project coordinator Zizipho Mtwesi says government measures such as improved street lighting and reviews of unsolved cases, announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa, are welcome but insufficient. 'Why do we have to wait for murders to act?' he asks. 'We are trying to reach men before things like these murders happen again.'
[BBC]
Voices From The Community
Women in Organic Market say fear is now part of daily life. 'We are not safe when we are outside our place,' says Linkie as she washes clothes. 'We are afraid when we see a car behind us. What if this guy's going to kidnap me or do something to me?'
Providence Maseko, a hairdresser with thick pink braids, voices a blunt mistrust: 'Safety here is very bad. Maybe you are the serial killer. How do I know who to trust?' Bra Steve urges dialogue: 'We must talk about these things. Come to our meetings and we can learn to trust each other.' Some women now rely on e-hailing taxis for everyday trips in the hope they are safer.
[BBC]
Commitment And Change
Men at the meeting spoke openly about past violence and committed to change. 'If they wouldn't allow these things to happen to their own daughters or mothers, they mustn't allow it to be done to someone else's daughter,' Zizipho told the group. Mathekga said he wants to become a role model: 'Our fathers and our uncles, they are there in prison. We must now become role models and help make this country better.'
What this shows — grassroots efforts that combine honest conversation, emotional processing and practical training can complement policy changes. Organisers and many community members argue that preventing violence requires both immediate safety measures and long-term cultural change among men.
Reporting note: Police have not confirmed a single serial-killer investigation in the Ekurhuleni cases; suspects in some instances have appeared in court and investigations continue.
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