READER LETTER | Negligence by society has created traps for boys

There is an outcry over the wayward behaviour of the boy-child. Firstly we must ask ourselves these pertinent questions.

What happened to our community centres in the urban townships, where youth used to gather and practice all sorts of art forms? What became of the swimming pools, tennis and basketball courts and soccer fields?

Even recreational parks are overgrown with grass and bushes and have become no-go zones. These are the places where the boy-child used to burn his energy after school. These community centres have now become white elephants, some have been vandalised and their equipments stolen right under the noses of local police. The swimming pools have become huge holes in the ground, attracting vice. Now the bushy public parks have provided a hiding place who burn their lungs with substances, and more antisocial and harmful behaviours.

Without ideal venues for young minds to meet and create and play, the boy-child has been pushed into drugs and alcohol abuse.

In addition, family quarrels have an adverse impact and effect on the behaviour of the boy-child, more so when there is violence. Children are mirrors of their environments, at home and in the community. If leaders of society, that is men, are not going to stand up and fix communities, protect public assets and clean up where it is necessary, the boy-child will continue to be stranded at the periphery of society. 

McDivett Khumbulani Tshehla
KwaMhlanga, Mpumalanga