Lessons of love, respect, resilience through generations

MY FATHER was a good man; a man’s man.

- DON MAKATILE

Thave no doubt that many sons and daughters would be able to say that proudly about the man who fathered them. But there are others, like academic Kopano Ratele, whod say: “I did not attend my father’s funeral”

But it is interesting to hear, in their own words, what the 32 contributors to this anthology say about the lessons they learned from their fathers.

Is it important for someone to be, ahem, nice? For celebrity broadcaster Maps Maponyane this trait is certainly one important lesson from his erstwhile footie father, Marks, now a television analyst of the game.

Maps ekes out a living ina cutthroat industry where he's been warned against being nice, but he insists — if it has worked for his dad, so it will for him.