By Palesa Ndinisa
On the 15th of June 2025, men came together and celebrated Father’s Day. The legendary musical genius and actor Mbuso Khoza, who is also a cultural custodian and an advocate for Men’s Wellbeing was a keynote speaker. Clinical psychologist Anele Siswana and City of Ekurhuleni Mayor, Nkosindindiphile were among the gentlemen who attended.
The event took place in KwaThema. ‘Healing the King Within, reclaiming identity; spiritual balance and mental wellness’ was the theme. “The aim of the event was for men to come and celebrate the day together. We don’t get celebrated much in our homes as men and fathers, so we thought this would be a good platform for iron to sharpen iron; exchange ideas and tackle the theme at hand. As much as its Father’s Day, but it’s also Men’s mental health month. We saw it fit to talk about empowerment, spirituality, and strengthening our mental health,” added Bongani Luvalo, the founder of Cool Dads Foundation and organiser of the Father’s Day Luncheon. Luvalo also expressed how important it is to be a good father by being present not only financially, but physically and emotionally for children.
Anele Siswana, a clinical psychologist, who deals with the idea of fatherhood and how it relates to the psychological state of a black man particularly, stated that these kind of settings are vital as they help men move away from toxic masculinity and the famous stigma, “men are trash”. Siswana stretched how it is imperative for men to normalise attending therapy. “What we saw is a display of men together talking the same language and a genuine interest for men to be the best version of themselves. Mental health shifts away the idea that men are weak, men aren’t supposed to cry when in actual fact, it is okay for men to not be okay,”added Siswana.
The keynote speaker, Mbuso Khoza furthermore explained how fatherhood is a role and not a purpose. He expressed how anyone can father children, yet not play a fatherly role in their children’s lives. Khoza also pointed out how fatherhood has healed him, especially growing up with no father. “Another thing we need to discuss is that men need to grow up and stop using the ill-language from when they were boys by having negative discussions about women behind close doors. If your thoughts are not transforming you, then it’s pointless to read good books and quotes. We’re living in an age where everyone feels the need to be spiritually woke, when we’re practicing and living what we call; spiritual materialism. We need to understand that knowledge evolves, so we need to impart it to each other. Anxiety and depression are real, and they come in different forms. Therefore, it is necessary to take mental health seriously,” expressed Khoza.
The executive mayor of Ekurhuleni was pleased to attend such an event and shared his thoughts by revealing that fatherhood weighs immensely on him, despite his busy schedule anchoring the mayoral entity. “Being a father goes a long way. It goes beyond being there financially and physically. There are other attributes. Such days teach us to recommit and want more for the generation to come. We want more men to celebrate Father’s Day by considering how much time they spend and what contribution they make to the upbringing of their children,” shared the mayor.
