South African musician and chairman of the Mzansi ACT NOW foundation, Tebogo Lerole, has called on men to take up space in protecting women and children and actively combat gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF).
Lerole made the plea during the Gauteng Walk against GBVF, held at the Johannesburg Zoo on Sunday.
The event, which drew participants from across the province, marked the latest edition of an initiative that began as a national men’s walk.
“Due to the lack of inclusivity, we renamed it the Gauteng Walk to include women and all other genders, and we have extended the walk to all nine provinces, which will participate in 2026,” he said.
Teaching boys co-existence
Lerole emphasised in an interview with Sunday World that the walk is about more than symbolism.
“It is important for men to partake in ensuring safety for women and children because the men who grew up in the olden days and those who are still driven by patriarchy have to unlearn a lot of things.
“When we speak about men, we speak about violence because there is so much violence among ourselves before we even get to GBVF and affecting other genders,” he said.
He stressed the need to teach boys early about respectful co-existence.
“There is a need for boys to understand how to cohabit and live in harmony with other genders at a young age.”
GBVF was declared a national disaster in November. Lerole, whose organisation started five years ago, is lamenting the lack of financial support for organisations on the ground.
“Five years in and we are still self-funding; that goes to show that there is little to no funding for non-profit organisations [NPOs].
“Corporate South Africa has a social budget to help communities; they need to play their part and help these many NPOs that are already on the ground,” he added.
Giving back to supporters
Lerole, a founding member of the popular kwela musical group Kwela Tebza, said his activism is rooted in both his upbringing and his musical career.
Kwela is a genre of street music originating from southern Africa. It is distinguished by its prominent use of the pennywhistle and jazz-inspired elements. It evolved from the marabi sound.
“I come from a home where helping people was the core of our existence, so I grew up to be someone who was responsible.
“South Africans supported us when we were making music, so I think it is only fair to give back to the same people who supported our music career.”
Lerole, who has long used music as a tool for social healing, said the fight against GBVF requires sustained collective action from men, corporates, and communities alike.
