The DA should stop trying to score cheap political points by dragging the department

12 October 2023

The Gauteng Department of Social Development, Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, MEC Mbali Hlophe has noted the statement issued by the Democratic Alliance’s (DA) Gauteng Shadow MEC for Social Development on hosting the 365 Men of the Year Awards.

In a statement, the DA’s Refiloe Nt’sekhe claims that money forfeited by non-compliant Gauteng NPOs will be used to fund the Men’s Awards.

The Department would like to put the record straight and clarify the misguided and exasperating information uttered by the DA.

Spanning for 9 years, the 365 Men of the Year Awards were created to identify and celebrate exemplary male figures who help to transform South African men towards a peaceful gender sensitive society. It is no secret that our country is amongst the highest of those who have violent crimes and GBV rates globally, and such activities are but part and parcel of the ongoing work the Department does, to try to reduce the statistics. The Awards have honoured men who are doing extraordinary work in our communities to break the cycle of gender-based violence (GBV) and other social ills to bring about positive change in the country.

“These awards were launched by the then Deputy President, Mr Cyril Ramaphosa in 2015. And through the awards, the Department has been able to shine a spotlight not only on positive male role models but on men and boys as partners against women and child abuse. Through public participation and year round activities conducted by our Men’s Forums within communities, the Department has been in direct contact with more than a million men and boys since 2015,” said Hlophe.

“I want to salute and congratulate men who are previously accoladed and those who will be nominated currently for the role they are playing to advocate for transformation in our society. Together we will win the fight against gender-based violence and related social ills.”

ON COST CONTAINMENT

The 2023 Men’s Awards are conceptualised within the cost containment measures, hence they are projected to be far, far lesser than threshold. The event has nothing to do with glamour as the DA claims but is about honouring positive male figures, and bestowing recipients with certificates and trophies for their contributions To this end, the department has reduced on venue costs by using Wits Hall, cutting the costs by more than half.

“We will continue to host these awards on an annual basis, inline with our adopted Annual Plan. They play a pivotal role and are the culmination of year round work done through our Men’s Forums in social cohesion, fighting GBVF, the transformation of men and in mentoring the boychild. As per usual the DA is out of ideas and remains clouded by cheap politicking to the extent that they fail to acknowledge that GBVF has been characterised as a second pandemic in the country and must be fought. They therefore cannot claim to be speaking on behalf of women and children if they cannot identify the scourge of GBVF that is ravaging our society”.

Since its launch in the year 2015, the 365 Men of the Year Awards have bestowed lifetime awards to spear-headers such as Dr Don Mattera, Dr Ali Bacher, Dr S.D Gumbi, Pastor Angus Buchan and Dr Jomo Sono to name a few. Positive male role models who counter the notion that all men are the same, and must be misogynist or chauvinist as a sign of manhood. By shining the light on their positive example it helps us to dispel the myth of manhood being associated with violence, and to mobilize men for the greater good of society.

Issued by Gauteng Department of Social Development, 12 October 2023