Justice Minister debunks gender bias in child maintenance laws

Justice Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi says mothers with higher incomes
must contribute fairly to child maintenance—debunking the myth that only
fathers are responsible. Africa Melane speaks to the CEO at Heartlines, Dr
Garth Japhet.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Rise and shine. It's a new day. It's early breakfast
with Africa Milani.

Speaker 2 (00:05):
The Justice Minister Kubay was in fullin here and there
was in Cape yesterday speaking at her Maintenance Matters community forum,
where she challenged common misconceptions about to parental financial responsibilities
and outlined how courts determine maintenance arrangements based on each
parents financial capacity. Join me on the line is the
CEO of Heartlines. It's doctor Garth Jeffort goth A. Very

(00:27):
good morning and welcome to the show.

Speaker 1 (00:29):
Good morning Africa. Thank you.

Speaker 2 (00:31):
This is an important conversation, is it not, Because there
is the perception that mothers use their children often to
go after the children's fathers, and fathers always complain that
mothers always exaggerate the expenses that they're undertake to raise
their child and therefore saddled with a burden that they

(00:52):
cannot financially meet.

Speaker 1 (00:55):
Yeah, it is a common misperception.

Speaker 3 (00:57):
I mean it's one that we is probably one of
the central things of we do in our program Fathers Matter.

Speaker 2 (01:03):
Tell us a bit more about the program.

Speaker 3 (01:05):
Then, Father's Matter is promoting the positive presence of men
in the lives of children. It's basically one of the
biggest leavers we have in terms of dealing with some
of the big societal issues. The issues are very clear
that although women doing the most amazing job of raising kids,
sixty percent of our kids are growing up without their
biological founders and that increases risks substantially of them growing

(01:28):
up to become a victim of gender based finlence of
being a perpetrator of violence. I think we all know
that boys often growing up with our dads end up
in risky behavior. We know that it impacts on educational outcomes,
economic performance, mental health, drug abuse, alcohol abuse and so on.

Speaker 1 (01:48):
So it's one of the key things we can do in.

Speaker 3 (01:50):
South Africa is to actually help men to get more
positively and actively involved in the lives of their children.

Speaker 2 (01:57):
It is a reality, though, is it not that we
do have a high percentage of males who have father
children who are choosing not to be in that child's
life and that cannot be condoned.

Speaker 3 (02:11):
Yeah, that's absolutely true. But we did the largest study
of its kind in South Africa to understand why men
are absent, and although that's certainly there are we know
that those men are around and a lot of them.
But the biggest single reason why men are not present
in children's lives is money. Is the perception by women

(02:31):
and men is that men's primary role as a father
is to provide money. And if you can't provide, you know,
we've got huge unemployment.

Speaker 1 (02:40):
Rates, then you can't be present.

Speaker 3 (02:42):
It doesn't take away from the right of a man
who is earning to be contributing. But the problem is
that for many unemployed or poorly employed men, the perception
is if they can't put bread on the table, give money.
One of the quotes was that I don't need another
child in my life house.

Speaker 2 (03:03):
How do we, then, I suppose, through your program and
the work that we're doing, how do we ensure a
future where, even if mother and father are no longer
a unit, that there is a presence of a father
emotionally and financially contributing to the welfare of that child.

Speaker 1 (03:25):
Well, I think that two things.

Speaker 3 (03:26):
One is that the knowledge level around why it's important
for men to be present is already low. If I
said to you, do kids need their mothers? You say,
you know, you stupid, Of course they do. Do kids
need their fathers?

Speaker 1 (03:38):
Well?

Speaker 3 (03:39):
Maybe so, I think we've got a big knowledge work
to do here. The second thing is, I think we've
got to change perceptions around this issue of money that kids.
We've done a big research servant to kids. So listen,
Even if my dad can't give me gifts, pay, et cetera,
I need him around. I want that more than his
financial provision. And then I think the other thing is

(04:02):
the role of what we call social fathers is men
who are in their lives being more you know, whether
it's an uncle or cousin, just being more intentional about
reaching out to these kids whose dads aren't present.

Speaker 2 (04:17):
Indeed, heartlines dot org dota is a website I'm going
to direct listeners to Garth. Thank you very much for
your time this morning. Here's a CEO of Heartlines, doctor
Garth Jaffett,