The issue of struggling single mothers in the country has been a pressing and real social concern as well as a major challenge. However, we also draw attention to issues concerning single fathers.
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Single fathers also face difficulty with accessing critical state resources such as social grants, this is because there isn’t sufficient support from South Africa’s social services.
Over the weekend, several videos of well know actor SK Khoza surfaced on social media. In the clip, he can be seen somewhat intoxicated, however, this raised further concerns from people suspecting that he was high on drugs, while others speculated that has been bewitched by his baby’s mother, who happens to be a sangoma known as Gogo Maweni.
A lot happened on that day, SK Khoza went to a lot of locations 😭😭 pic.twitter.com/VjPxXXLZrT
— K U L A N I (@kulanicool) April 6, 2022
This follows after she previously posted on social media, emphasizing that if her kids don’t eat then no one will eat.
This Is Gogo Maweni (From that show of Sangomas on showmax) & These Two Men Are Gogo Maweni’s baby daddies. Not so Long Ago Gogo Maweni Said that IF HER BABIES DONT EAT, NO ONE WILL EAT! Siyabonga Zulu got Fired and SK Khoza Got Fired from the Queen. pic.twitter.com/XoHSqv69KZ
— Man’s NOT Barry Roux (@AdvoBarryRoux) April 5, 2022
This sparked conversations around the ever-challenging issue of single parenting and co-parenting in many homes.
After some research was conducted, a single black father based in Orange Farm, South of Johannesburg shared the following;
“I wish more work could be done of fathers like myself, in how we exist as single present fathers. It is always about the absent Dad or single mothers.
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I do not even feel comfortable sharing my experiences with other men because the role I play in my children’s lives is still seen as the role a woman should play, because of how parenthood has been portrayed in movies, newspapers, and TV shows like papgeld,” he said.
Statistics revealed that of the approximate 989 318 babies born last year in South Africa, 61.7% recorded no information about their fathers being involved on their birth certificates.
As per the Human Sciences Research Council, estimates show that 60% of children have absent fathers while 40% of mothers are single parents.
Possible reasons behind single parenthood aren’t as easy to explain however centered on the 19th and 20th-century migrant labor system brought about by the apartheid-era homeland system.
Another reason looks into ilobolo and bridewealth. The practices and amount usually requested through ilobolo are not conducive to the man’s economic condition.
Women in South Africa earn approximately 28% less than men, which accounts for the poverty faced by female-led households. Almost 30% of women are unemployed, compared to 25.2% of men. Women are also most likely to work in unregulated sectors and do unpaid work.
There are other factors such as domestic abuse, sexual assault, unwanted pregnancy, and HIV, which prevent women from being able to sufficiently support themselves and their families.
There are psychological consequences that children in fatherless households face. According to research, boys who grow up with absent fathers are more likely to reflect aggression and other hyper-masculine behaviors, which intern lead to risks of unhealthy relationships, crime, and addiction.
