BY PHUMZILE NDLOVU
MBABANE – The Epic Dad!
As we celebrate our superheroes today, who protect us, love us, and provide for our families, today marks a very special day for them, as we do not celebrate them enough for the sacrifices they make. If you are still blessed to have a father, or that male figure that plays that role in your life, celebrate and spoil him today. It can be breakfast in bed or any gift that will be meaningful, whether it is a toolbox, socks, or a coffee mug. It’s the thought that counts.
We tracked down the Founder and Festival Director of Epic Gig, Tammy ‘Toxik’ Dlamini, and asked him about fatherhood, challenges, and the greatest lesson as a father. This is what he had to say.
When did you become a father?
I became a father 13 years ago.
How was the experience of seeing your firstborn for the first time?
It was scary at first, I won’t lie, but I had to be the brave one in the relationship because my girlfriend (now wife) was only 18 years old. She was terrified of her father and everyone, including the responsibility that came with being a mom. Then my Angel was born, the most beautiful baby girl, and my heart melted. From that day on, I had a purpose in life, and that was to be the best version of a father I could be.
What does fatherhood mean to you?
It’s the pursuit of greatness for me. If I gave my all to be the best version of a dad to my kids, I would have contributed greatly to the world because they would become positive contributors to society. The biggest challenge in society is broken homes and absent fathers.
What’s the Father’s Day tradition with your family?
They will ask me to take them somewhere for lunch and fun, and I will pay. Then my wife will give me a gift, and my kids will claim it.
Do you still have a father?
I still do, and I thank God for him.
How do you celebrate Father’s Day with him?
It depends. My dad is an introvert, and you probably find that he will be with his animals, if not with his crops. Later, we get to celebrate Father’s Day together.
What would you advise absent fathers?
It’s better for a child to know their father passed away than to live their entire life knowing you abandoned them.
What has been your greatest lesson as a father?
Patience. Kids will teach you that every day of their lives and the next lesson after that is how to love. They show love unfiltered and still remind you how much they do, and those actions make you find inner peace and joy.
