Nothing beats the feeling of fatherhood

WHILE having a prominent and influential person as a father might seem cool, these “superdads” are nothing like what you see on your TV screens.

Best known for his role as the charismatic 26 gang leader in Four Corners, Irshaad Ally switches into the other role of a father of two young girls seamlessly, and according to him, nothing beats the feeling of fatherhood.

“I've been a father for eight years now, and I think it’s special. I’ve only now started to look forward to Father’s Day,” said Ally.

Born in Hanover Park, and raised in Manenberg, Ally said his childhood was the typical Cape Flats childhood with a well-known father, with an estranged relationship.

“My childhood consisted of me playing outside, bare foot, climbing trees and stealing fruit off the neighbours’ tree. But once I hit my teens, I ended up hanging out with the wrong crowd, and that’s when I started to dabble in substance abuse.

“In the midst of all of this, my dad passed away when I was 13, before I even got the chance to fully grasp who he was. He became ill when I was 9, and before that he was a man that everyone knew in town because he was always seen playing cards with his friends and gambling.

“Despite this, my mother always said regardless of whatever our father did, he was always a provider and that was what pushed me to do the same for my family,” said Ally.

Known for his role as Emile February in family soapie Arendsvlei, Christian Bennett said that he got his attributes of taking one step at a time with fatherhood from his father.

“My father was a ‘superman’ himself. He was from Transkei, so a lot of his traits that he got were from the farm, and that’s what he instilled in me. He was hard working, determined and strong willed, and that’s what I try to instil in my children as well,” said Bennett.

The father of two said being a public figure had exposed his older son to being teased at school.

“They tease my son a lot about his father being a killer, but since he was young, I taught him the difference between my character and my role as a father. I always remind him to tell them that I’m just a storyteller, like their teacher is also a storyteller, and if they mock him because his father is a storyteller, then they are ignorant,” he said.

With teenage pregnancy being prevalent in the community, Bennett said that young fathers have a lot of adjusting to do.

“When a man becomes a father at a young age, it is essential from that point onwards that they grow up immediately in order to cope with fatherhood. Even though biologically they are parents, there should also be a balance of having responsible fun while they are young, and having to be a father figure in another person's life.

“We all go through the same thing when it comes to fatherhood, but striking a balance is the key,” said Bennett.