Vuyo makes his mark

MOSSEL BAY NEWS - Mossel Bay youth developer and activist Vuyolwethu Mfumbe last week attended the two-day National Men's Parliament in Cape Town.

Mfumbe was recognised for his work following the brutal murder in June this year of local beauty queen and entrepreneur, Naledi Phandingawo, a close friend of his.

Phandingawo was stabbed and hacked to death. The suspect in the murder is a former intimate partner of hers and the father of her two children.

Mfumbe actively supported a campaign against granting bail to Phandingawo's alleged murderer.

Apart from arranging public events, within the boundaries of the Covid-19 regulations in earlier more stringent levels of the national lockdown, Mfumbe also appeared on national news broadcasts, stating his case against gender-based violence and the abuse of children.

The National Men's Parliament is hosted by Parliament, in partnership with the South African National Aids Council and the Department of Social Development.

The theme was Institutionalising a Responsive Men's Movement. Last week's event was the second biennial sectoral Parliament, convened under the banner of the Takuwani Riime Men's Movement.

The attendees included about 250 men and boys from across the country. The objective was to engage them in becoming agents of change and integral partners in the prevention and response in tackling the spread of HIV, gender-based violence and femicide and other social ills.

The first day of the Men's Parliament, 19 November, coincided with International Men's Day.

On the day, opportunity was provided for provinces to share outcomes of their localised provincial, district and municipal Men's Parliaments, to consolidate work achieved and establish new priorities for the next term.

"I was honored to be invited to the Men's Parliament in Cape Town. The highlight was to meet other men from all the nine provinces to discuss the social issues plaguing our society. The struggle continues. We currently have three cases supported by our movement and we stand with the victims always. After this, I am so inspired to fight harder for a society free from gender-based violence," concludes Mfumbe.

Vuyolwethu Mfumbe