South African men form grassroots movement against violence toward women
In Johannesburg, men are gathering through the group Father A Nation to confront their own behaviour and help curb killings of women, as the country reels from the discovery of 12 women's bodies near the city.
In the Organic Market informal settlement near Alexandra township in Johannesburg, men gather in a narrow street to discuss violence against women. At one such meeting, 30-year-old Kgomotso Mathekga admits that during an argument with his girlfriend, he once grabbed and slapped her. The relationship ended afterward, and he no longer sees his child.
The gathering is led by Itumeleng Stephen Tamaga, known locally as Bra Steve, a local organiser for Father A Nation, a non-profit working with men and boys to promote positive masculinity and reduce violence against women.
The meetings come as South Africa faces renewed public anger over femicide, after the bodies of 12 women were discovered over three months in Ekurhuleni, near Johannesburg. President Cyril Ramaphosa has acknowledged his government has not done enough, announcing measures including improved street lighting and a review of unsolved cases.
Alarming figures
South Africa has one of the highest murder rates in the world: 5,427 people were killed between April and June, including 569 women — an average of six a day — while 1,052 others survived attempted murder. A 2022 study found more than 35% of South African women have experienced physical or sexual violence, often from intimate partners.
Father A Nation founder Craig Wilkinson explains that the group first helps men process their emotions, then trains them in positive masculinity through programmes run in schools and colleges across the country.
Nearby, women describe feeling unsafe. Hair salon worker Providence Maseko says she now takes taxis everywhere because she no longer knows who to trust. Project coordinator Zizipho Mtwesi says every man must take responsibility and protect women as they would protect their own daughters or mothers.
