The Fathers of a Nation

The men in the Thebe Group who are blessed with the gift of fatherhood, know what an incredible honour and responsibility it is. As we journey alongside our children, we see them transformed from babies, to carefree pre-teens, to the turbulent teenagers and finally into wonderful adults. It is important to celebrate the special bonds we have with our children at every phase as they move though life.

Martin Luther King, Junior said, “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”

As we celebrate Youth Month in our country in honour of the Soweto uprising, we remember the youth of 16 June 1976. These young people are my measure of the men and women we wish our children to emulate. Every year as we commemorate June 16, as we mourn the loss of an estimated 700 young lives, we are also filled with pride at the courage of school children that took up the cause of equality. The youth then shouldered the task of men, and gave up their lives so future generations will never again suffer oppression.

Let us remind our own children at every chance we get, what it took for the youth of 1976 to earn the freedoms we enjoy today. To honour the legacy of youth of 16 June 1976, let us celebrate the fathers who encourage their children to flourish into adults and leaders of courage, confidence and strong character, who like our Thebe Group Founding fathers (Tata Nelson Mandela, Walter Sisulu, Dr Beyers Naudé and Enos Mabuza) will contribute to the growth and development of our communities, South Africa and the world.

Fatherhood is the ultimate measure of man, in as much as we are present in our children’s lives. It is easier said than done, while we are working at advancing our careers and providing for our families. However, as the CEOs of our children’s lives, let’s work harder to nurture our children, envelope them with our unconditional love, protect them and help them achieve their goals and aspirations so they can live full lives. A man is a father who plays a pivotal role in raising a child through all life’s hurdles and the modern day challenges like drugs, unemployment, depression and the educational concerns in a turbulent economy. Let the foundation that we build as fathers for our children be positive, empowering, and help grow our children spiritually, emotionally, physically and intellectually.

In the tradition of ubuntu and the Thebe Group values, I ask you to reach beyond your biological families into the communities where there are children who have no parents. Our ancestors deemed every father a child’s father regardless of biology. A child was the responsibility of the whole village. A child did not grow up in isolation or with a struggling single parent as it’s increasingly becoming common in our society. That boy who’s sleeping on the pavement is your son and mine.  Just as that girl who’s studying under candlelight so she can go into space, is our daughter. While the community cannot replace a parent, we are obligated by humanity to reach out by supporting, mentoring, advising and enriching the lives of all our children.

To support and commit to the development of fatherhood and other essentials of manhood, we are launching the Thebe Esquire Forum, which is a platform that will provide dialogues on men issues for the greater South African society. We hope that you will engage with the forum and share in the wealth of knowledge and experience of our team.

Vusi Khanyile