Forty boys from communities across the Western Cape came together in Parow for a two-day All Boys Parliament aimed at creating space for young people to discuss the challenges affecting their lives.
The South African Police Service Western Cape’s City of Cape Town District hosted the initiative on 1 and 2 October, bringing together boys from identified police station precincts for a parliamentary-style engagement.
The programme gave the participants an opportunity to engage directly with adults in the room and speak openly about issues affecting young people, particularly those living in communities across the Cape Flats.
According to SAPS, the discussions focused on gangsterism, unemployment, substance abuse, the absence of positive role models, lawlessness and limited constructive opportunities for young people.
The police service said the initiative was intended to create a space where the boys could share their experiences, challenge one another’s thinking and reflect on the decisions that influence their lives.
The participants represented different communities across the Western Cape and were selected from identified station precincts.
SAPS highlighted the difficulties faced by boys who are exposed to negative influences while seeking acceptance and ways to navigate challenging circumstances.
The police service also raised concerns about the connection between challenges affecting young men and the prevalence of gender-based violence.
The initiative was also positioned as a platform for young voices to be heard as part of broader conversations about youth development and community safety.
SAPS said the boys left the engagement with a shared sense of wanting to change how young men are viewed, while the discussions aimed to encourage reflection on their role within their communities.
The police service described the two-day gathering as the beginning of a conversation that places young people’s experiences at the centre of discussions about the challenges facing communities across the Cape Flats.
SAPS said the Boys Parliament had provided a platform for these conversations to begin and, importantly, for the voices of young teenagers to be heard as ‘they are the men of tomorrow’.
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Picture: SAPS/Facebook
