A GROUP of men from QwaQwa in the Free State were seen hiking naked on the Drankensberg moutains on Monday, 21 June.
The hike was part of celebrating World Naked Hiking Day.
The men took part in the 3km hiking trail on the Drankensberg mountains towards Bergville in KZN and back to the Free State within an hour.
Speaking to Daily Sun, the leader of Maponapona Hiking, Fana Lephakga, said the initiative forms part of World Naked Hiking Day.
“Yes, it’s amazing to us South Africans to see men hiking naked. The main purpose is for men to gain confidence.
We want the world to know that nothing is impossible in life. Some people think we’re undermining the respect that men deserve, but they are wrong because we are actually reclaiming our manhood. We have tasted life in a meaningful way,” he said.
Fana further indicated that it is not a shameful behaviour to their girlfriends and wives as they are supporting them to continue with the initiative.
“Those are the first people we approached during the preparations of this hiking session. I told my wife this is a self-introspection programme that will build my confidence as a man. We are also sending a clear message to gender-based violence perpetrators to stop now,” he said.
One of the participants, Tshepo Mahlaba, said: “I’m happy to be part of this hike. It has assisted me to fight my insecurities. We have dreams that we need to achieve. So if we managed to achieve this one, it means we are capable enough to face the world. You are not man enough if you are scared to be naked in front of other men. I can assure you that we are transformed. We are viewing life positively. We call upon every men in South Africa to join us. We are empowering each other,” said Tshepo.
Thabo Mofokeng, who was representing the LGBTI community, said: “I enjoyed every moment of being with straight men naked in the mountains. I have learned a lot from their experiences. Like women have their gatherings in their own space, we also need such to grow our minds,” said Thabo.
Some of the naked hikers were local artists.
