Police in the Western Cape, through the City of Cape Town District, took a bold step this week by hosting an All Boys Parliament – a first of its kind – over two days, 1 and 2 October.

A total of 40 boys, drawn from identified station precincts across the City of Cape Town District -including areas classified as gang stations – were brought together and hosted at a parliamentary sitting in Parow. The initiative comes amid sustained gang-related violence on the Cape Flats, where 11 Cape Town police precincts rank among South Africa’s 30 highest for murder and where gang conflict remains the single biggest driver of violence, according to police crime statistics released earlier this year.

The two-day engagement targeted boys from communities across the City of Cape Town District, giving young men a platform to speak openly about the social challenges confronting youth – particularly those living on the Cape Flats.

Speaking from experience

With passion and maturity, the boys – representing communities across the City of Cape Town District – contributed to discussions around the social challenges that continue to impact young people’s lives and, in many cases, have contributed to the loss of young lives.

The discussions centred on several pressing issues:

• Gangsterism – and how gangs exploit vulnerability among youth, particularly where young people lack positive role models, meaningful opportunities and hope for a brighter future.
• Substance abuse – identified as a serious concern, with consequences extending beyond individual users and contributing to crime, violence, family breakdown and lawlessness within communities.
• Unemployment – and the lack of constructive opportunities that can stimulate and develop young minds.
• The absence of positive role models – and the lawlessness that pervades many of these communities.

From childhood to adulthood

The discussions further explored the pressures young boys face as they navigate the journey from childhood into adulthood. The struggle for survival and acceptance, the boys noted, most often exposes boys to negative influences that undermine their ability to develop into responsible and positive members of their communities.

Of particular concern was the link between the challenges confronting young men and the prevalence of gender-based violence (GBV). The boys recognised that developing young men who understand respect, responsibility, compassion and equality is an important part of building safer families and communities – and that it does not always come through education alone, but through positive role models and the ability to make good choices.

A space to be heard

The Boys Parliament created a space where these hand-picked boys could challenge one another through their thoughts, share experiences and reflect on the choices that shape their lives. The two-day engagement demonstrated that teaching can become a learning experience when young people are given the opportunity to speak, listen and learn from one another.

For the teens, the experience was more than simply attending an event. It was an opportunity to carry the voice of their community into a broader conversation about the future of young men.

Their participation serves as a reminder that young people should not only be spoken about – they must also be listened to.

Building resilient nations

The future of communities in the Western Cape depends on creating opportunities where young people can develop their potential, discover positive role models, make informed choices and understand that their lives have value and purpose. The Boys Parliament has provided a platform for that conversation to begin – and, importantly, for the voices of these young teens to be heard.

Because they are the men of tomorrow.

Background: The All Boys Parliament follows the launch of the District Boys Parliament in the Cape Metro earlier this year, hosted by the South African National AIDS Council (SANAC) Men’s Sector in collaboration with Subcouncil 4 at the Parow Civic Centre on 31 March. At that launch, 77 boys from high schools in Delft, Khayelitsha, Mfuleni and Elsies River attended, with organisers signalling their intention to eventually bring the boys to the National Parliament in Cape Town. The Western Cape continues to grapple with entrenched gang violence on the Cape Flats, where Operation Prosper – a joint South African National Defence Force (SANDF) and police deployment – has reduced violent crime and murders in 14 of the 17 most affected police precincts, according to President Cyril Ramaphosa, though gang-related killings persist.