How the 'tragic phenomenon' of deadbeat dads in South Africa is having 'a detrimental effect on society'

Every year, these Statistics South Africa findings from 2018 make a comeback:

"Across all four race groups, between 74% and 92% of children lived with their mothers. Of this, African children under the age of 17 were least likely to not stay with their biological father at home."

This year, the President chose to include them in his weekly letter following Women’s Day, which focused on issues pertaining to South African women.

Calling absentee fatherhood "a tragic phenomenon", he implored South African men to step up their responsibilities to their children and families as a way of lessening some of the burdens shouldered by women in South Africa.

However, the fathers represented by those statistics may not all be the "deadbeat dads" that society tends to presume they are.

'When you do not have money, they disrespect you at home'

A few years ago, Heartlines, an NGO started by Soul City co-founder, Dr. Garth Japhet, identified the impact of the absence of father figures in the lives of children as having such a detrimental effect on society that it warranted becoming the focus of Heartlines' next project.

As a starting point, Heartlines undertook formative research to properly understand the complexity of the issue so that it could design relevant, effective interventions to it.

"So, you can be a decent father, but you need to have money. When you do not have money, they disrespect you at home. The kids will respect you when you have money," was how one of the research focus group participants articulated the most notable barrier to involvement – the perception of fathers in South Africa as just financial providers.

"If you don't have money, then you are not regarded as a father," explained another participant.

Heartlines' Fathers Matter project is built on the findings from this research and aims to help men who may feel ill-equipped to do so, to 'step up' in their role as fathers.

An appeal to help men 'step up'

There are a number of ways men can connect for advice and support – and Heartlines provides for different levels of engagement. There are also six short films focusing on fatherhood and father figure-related themes that will go into production in the near future.

According to Fathers Matter Project Manager, Pamela Kgare, "This initiative is the first intervention of its kind in South Africa that seeks to inspire one million fathers in South Africa to be actively and positively involved in the lives of their children in the next three years."

To do this, Heartlines is appealing to South Africans to help men step up as fathers by sharing the Fathers Matters resources within their communities.

By doing this, each person has a unique opportunity to participate in strengthening South African families and communities.

Submitted to Parent24 by Heartlines.