Across Southern Africa, thousands of men are abandoning stable education and employment and are instead seeking a fantasy fortune in South Africa's abandoned mines. The illegal miners, known as the zama zamas, not only put their lives at risk but also leave their families behind in countries like Lesotho and Zimbabwe for weeks if not months at a time.

In this episode, we explore how men's desire for status can be destructive for families and how future generations are impacted by growing up with absent fathers. We delve into the conversation with Mpiwa Mangwiro, an advocacy specialist for MenEngage Africa Alliance based in Johannesburg, and Rosalind Morris, an award-winning anthropologist who has launched a project devoted to the illegal miners in South Africa.

This show has been produced by Khopotso Bodibe, in Johannesburg; Pascalinah Kabi in Maseru, Lesotho; Lillo Montalto Monella, Marta Rodríguez Martinez, Naira Davlashyan, Arwa Barkallah and Mame Peya Diaw in Lyon. Special thanks go to Lory Martinez and Clizia Sala from Studio Ochenta. The music theme by Gabriel Dalmasso.

If you are a French speaker, this podcast is also available in French: Dans la tête des Hommes.

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