Pretoria - KwaZulu-Natal Premier, Dr Zweli Mkhize, has urged men to talk to the younger generation about teenage pregnancy.
Dr Mkhize, who was addressing a District Men's Dialogue in Ladysmith, as part of planned activities across the province to observe Men's Month, voiced his concerns about older men who sleep with young girls and infect them with HIV virus and urged men to come up with solutions.
"In our times, it was a disgrace even among your peers to have impregnated a girl to the point that it was regarded as a serious offence, the country will not deal with the problem of HIV and Aids until the issue of behavior is addressed and these problems can be solved when men come together and come up with solutions through honest discussions of their role in society," Dr Mkhize said.
The dialogues are expected to take place in all the districts of the province targeting 1000 men, in preparation for the Provincial Men's Imbizo.
Among the issues discussed in the dialogue included culture, tradition and development, masculinity and religion, men and health as well as other issues affecting men.
Dr Mkhize noted that since the old days, it was a usual occurrence for men of different ages to meet and discuss issues affecting them and their communities.
"This was also a platform to talk about how - at different stages of a man's life - one should conduct themselves. This is because there are things that one needs to be made aware of, and teachings that need to be carried from generation to generation on how to look after yourself and your community," he said.
