ZULU TRADITIONAL LEADERS PARTNER WITH KZN GOVERNMENT TO UPLIFT THE BOY CHILD

By Bongi Shozi.

• KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Social Development, Hon. Mbali Shinga, met with Zulu traditional leaders, the CRL Commission, and the Royal Household to address the marginalisation of young men.
• The dialogue focused on reviving cultural mentorship and tackling the social fallout seen in hostels, including drug use and gender-based violence.
• The engagement sets the tone for the upcoming Boys’ Camp in Nquthu, offering young men an opportunity to reconnect with cultural identity and social responsibility.

Recognising the growing crisis facing young men in South Africa’s urban hostels, KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Social Development, Hon. Mbali Shinga, convened a high-level dialogue with members of the Zulu Royal Household, the CRL Commission, and traditional leaders including Amabutho and Izinduna. The gathering, held at the Department of Community Safety offices in Gauteng, brought cultural and government leaders together to restore dignity, purpose, and mentorship to boys who are increasingly disconnected from their roots.

Once centres for migrant labour, hostels in Johannesburg have now become a troubling symbol of broken male identity. Social isolation, substance abuse, violence, and the erosion of traditional values have taken root, creating a vacuum of role models and mentorship for young men.

Chairperson of the King’s Council, iNkosi uMtwana Zuzifa Buthelezi kaPhindangene, and CRL Commission Chairperson Ms Thoko Mkhwanazi-Xaluva joined the dialogue, adding both cultural gravitas and human rights oversight. The consensus was clear: tradition must evolve to meet the crisis, and healing must be community-led.

“For too long, we have focused on the girl child which was necessary, but we neglected our boys,” said MEC Shinga. “That neglect is now manifesting in broken young men, riddled with confusion, violence, and hopelessness.” She stressed that restoring the boy child requires collaboration between government interventions and traditional structures.

The gathering forms part of the build-up to the Boys’ Camp, scheduled to run from 25 to 27 July 2025 in Nquthu. The camp will provide young men with a space to learn from elders, reflect on their roles in society, and engage in lessons on discipline, identity, and self-respect. Gauteng-based Izinduna are expected to play a central mentoring role.