Exploring Interpersonal Issues And Challenges Confronting Ex-Combatant Fathers And Their Sons In Post-Apartheid South Africa

This study explores interpersonal issues and challenges confronting ex-combatant fathers and their sons in post-apartheid South Africa. It draws on life-story interviews conducted with six father-son pairs. The interviews were subjected to a thematic interpretive analysis, which revealed a number of salient themes. Some of these were shared by both fathers and sons, while others were specific to each cohort. Shared themes were the nature of the father-son relationship and silence. The need for psychosocial support was specific to the fathers, while substitute fathers and emotional-behavioural difficulties were specific to the sons. The study holds important policy implications for addressing the needs of ex-combatant families.