MEN should be the focus when dealing with sexual offences against children and women because they are “the root of the problem”.
Christian Mission fellowship pastor, the Reverend Manasa Kolivuso stressed this as he stood by his call for a ‘Department of Men’ to help them deal with the problem.
He said the focus should be on the perpetrators.
“Our approach has always been reactive,” he said.
“If we continue to do the same things while expecting a different outcome, it is called insanity.”
Mr Kolivuso said statistics revealed 99 per cent of perpetrators were men, and this should stir the urgency of a different approach and stakeholders should start thinking outside the box.
He also called on men to admit there was a problem, take responsibility for the problem and do something about it.
“We cannot play the blame game. If we blame one another, no one is going to solve this problem.”
He said while his suggestion may be viewed as radical, it must happen to ‘nip this problem in the bud’.
“We must do something with those who are actually committing the crime. Only then can we say we are being proactive in our approach.
“Prevention is better than cure. Men are at the root of this problem and they must be our highest priority. If we do not work on the root, all our best efforts will come to nothing.”
He said men in this country needed a movement such as the Department of Men and this is why he raised it at a symposium organised by the Ministry of Women, Children and Social Protection.
“The problem in society is that there are many male, less men.
“Male hit their wives, real men don’t.
Male rape women and children, real men don’t.
“We need a movement that will teach males to become real men.”
He said he was glad the proposal generated a widespread public debate that must be part of our national discourse.
“Despite all our good intentions, great policies and strategy papers and advocacy works to reduce or minimise this problem, it keeps on escalating.”
