QRATE

By Traver Mudzonga Son: “Daddy, what does it mean to be a man?” Father: “Nothing son, absolutely nothing.”  Food for Thought : What do boys in South Africa think about being boys today? What do they imagine is expected of them? Whom do they look up to and how are they navigating the transition from being boys to becoming men?  What does it mean to be a man? That a man does not cry? That a man provides and protects? Maybe these are not the right questions.  But maybe this story will provide the right answers.  Andisiwe and Tshepo, a newly married young couple, are planning on having a baby. Tshepo wants a daughter but his aunts are adamant that his firstborn should be a boy, “to carry on the family name” they say. His uncles also insist that his firstborn must be a boy too, “to show that he is a man in the bedroom” they say.  On the other hand, Andisiwe wants a son for a firstborn and her mother agrees, “to please your hu...