As South Africa continues to grapple with high levels of violence, a growing movement is calling for a shift in how we address the root causes. The Heartlines Fathers Matter campaign is urging men—and society at large—to recognise the critical role fathers and male role models play in shaping the emotional development of children and preventing violence before it begins. For Themba Dlamini, this message is deeply personal. After surviving a violent hijacking, he was struck not only by the brutality of the incident, but by how young the perpetrators were—raising a haunting question: where were their fathers? Through his work, he argues that violence often begins long before it manifests physically, rooted in unresolved emotions, absent guidance, and a lack of positive role models. We spoke to Themba Dlamini, a Pastor, father of four, a columnist and author of Village Boy: A Memoir of Fatherlessness.

<p>As South Africa continues to grapple with high levels of violence, a growing movement is calling for a shift in how we address the root causes. The Heartlines Fathers Matter campaign is urging men&mdash;and society at large&mdash;to recognise the critical role fathers and male role models play in shaping the emotional development of children and preventing violence before it begins. For Themba Dlamini, this message is deeply personal. After surviving a violent hijacking, he was struck not only by the brutality of the incident, but by how young the perpetrators were&mdash;raising a haunting question: where were their fathers? Through his work, he argues that violence often begins long before it manifests physically, rooted in unresolved emotions, absent guidance, and a lack of positive role models. We spoke to Themba Dlamini, a Pastor, father of four, a columnist and author of Village Boy: A Memoir of Fatherlessness.</p>

News and Current Affairs show between 5 & 6 am on SAfm 104 to 107 anchored by Tsepiso Makwetla

First Take SA

A weekly news and current affairs show presented by Elvis Presslin on SAfm 104 to 107 from 5:00 to 6:00 am.

<p>A weekly news and current affairs show presented by Elvis Presslin on SAfm 104 to 107 from 5:00 to 6:00 am.</p>