Johannesburg - The King of the Zulu nation, King Misuzulu kaZwelithini, took the fight against gender-based violence (GBV) to the streets of Durban.
The recently minted king took part in a gender-based violence march organised by the Good Men Foundation and Maskolo Foundation as part of International Men's Day.
The march began from King Dinizulu Park and ended at Kingsmead Cricket Stadium on Saturday.
The king said men must join hands in ridding the country of gender-based violence, which has escalated in recent months. The king's call comes a week after the recent GBV summit in Midrand.
"Today, I say as the nation, we must draw the line between monsters and those who fight the scourge of GBV. Those who do nothing to wipe out the scourge of GBV are also guilty," he said.
He said men in the KZN province, which is said to be one of the worst affected provinces when it comes to GBV, must ensure that it rids itself of the scourge.
"This is not something we do not have to be proud of as a people, as the Zulu nation, and as South Africa," he said.
According to the king, those who look the other way when incidents of GBV are committed are as guilty as those who commit these atrocities against children and women.
"Those who abuse women and children, are rapists, rapists and killings are guilty on two fronts, by commissioning and by looking the other way. Looking the other way when incidents happen in our ranks, churches, mosques, temples, schools, hostels, workplaces, and royal circles does not mean you are innocent, but just as guilty as those who commit these acts," the king said.
The king's call was reiterated by former deputy president Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, who also attended the event.
Mlambo-Ngcuka urged men to become "good role models" for their sons to end the scourge of GBV.
"We need men to be good role models to their boy child. If a boy child has a father who abuses alcohol, that child will end up abusing alcohol when they are old. If a boy child witnesses his father being abusive to his mother, that child will end up abusing the women in their lives when they grow up. This will lead to deeper societal problems, " she said.
The Star