By Motshabi Hoaeane
Imbizo Yamadoda – a movement focused on equipping men to become agents of positive transformation in society – hosted its second men’s dialogue at the Katlehong Resource Centre on 7 June 2025. The dialogue ushered in Men’s Health Month by looking beyond the typical description of manhood but focused on foundational character issues at the core of possible reasons South African communities have high rates of femicide, rape and gender based violence as a direct spillover of men’s behaviour. The movement, through a 12 week training program, equips men with different soft and hard skills like drafting personal vision statements, character development, and skills building and behavioural rehabilitation to help men become better employable and emotionally rehabilitated from paternal disengagement.
Led by faith leaders and policy and business professionals, including Kingdom Life City Church’s Pastor Goodwill Mkhavele, Newton Baloyi, and Advocate Doctor Mashabane, the event attracted an overflowing audience from the community of Ramokonopi. The dialogue tackled socio-economic issues such as unemployment, social abandonment, and poverty, which men are forced to reckon with daily in their struggles.
“Our vision has to do with our commitment to our communities. We want to create prosperous, peaceful, stable, unified and secure communities, communities that ensure that everyone is working. We are not just here to exist, we are here because God has given us a purpose,” said Pastor Goodwill Mkhavele. “We train the heart first because when we train the heart, we are training a stable generation. Mkhavele said that the training of the heart would help correct the foundational character flaws in men, which make them negligent of their minds’ potential. “The foundation of leadership is a compassionate heart to see everyone succeed.”
Advocate Doctor Mashabane said that he supported the Imbizo Ya Madoda because it focused specifically on issues that men faced. He stated that while the program trained men on how to ensure that opportunities from corporations they receive don’t wither away, in the same breadth, he reiterated that men had the responsibility to be protectors of those women and children in the community. He pointed out that problems of never being acknowledged and appreciated while alive, drug and alcohol abuse also perpetuate incidents where men become violent because these things negatively affect the reasoning capacity of men. “If we as men are not healed and have unresolved issues, we will inevitably pass these to our sons.” He said. He also added that men need to show remorse for acts of violence by giving back to the community in a way that uplifts, e.g., cleaning gardens in the community, and that when they do, they must be forgiven to stop the cycle of toxic masculinity.
Lucrative Businessman Newton Baloyi, who focused on issues of poverty alleviation during the dialogue, said that “money that is given, and power that is given doesn’t build – it only destroys. You need to put money and power in people whose hearts are changed.” Baloyi said that time, energy, and skills are what make people able to add value to society, adding that no amount of money can compensate for unproductive ways of living and a mind that cant live beyond its circumstances. The event which was targeted specifically at men – also drew many women, and owing to this the movement is also considering a women’s wing of the Imbizo.
Men are encouraged to apply to become part of the new group which is set to start getting training. For more information on training please contact:
boitumelo@bogoniboost.co.za or call 064 721 7133.
