First Fruit Festival - Bull Killing


Zulu warriors pull at the tongue, while killing a full grown bull with their bare hands during the First Fruit Ceremony in celebration of the harvest at the Royal Kraal at Nongoma in Kwa-Zulu Natal.

Photo: Joao Silva/PictureNET



Editorial by Louise van der Merwe:

A Judge's Torment

My father was the Chief Justice in Botswana in the late 'sixties and early 'seventies and I remember walking into his chambers, as a young woman, and being concerned for the anxiety that was etched on his face.  My father explained that the Accused in a case before him, had committed a 'muti' murder - something that was understood in his culture - yet he was to be judged and sentenced to death by a rule of law based on Western culture. And therein lay my father's torment. As a man with a profoundly deep social conscience, my father's concern was that the Accused's understanding of what he had done was quite different to how Roman-Dutch Law viewed it. In my father's view, this difference in perception was a mitigating circumstance - but one that was not recognised by the law.

Muti Murders

The ritual murder of a child for body parts for 'dipheko' or 'muti' continues in Africa to this day - although now it is a part of African culture that has been disowned by every single country. So what has this got to do with the ritual slaughter of animals, you may ask? What has it got to do with Tony Yengeni's ritual slaughter of the bull or the annual First Fruits Festival in KwaZulu Natal where young men bare-handedly tear a bull apart? It has to do with the fact that culture is not static.

In the furore that followed Mr Yengeni's post-prison cleansing ceremony, in which he stabbed a bull with a spear, ritual slaughter of animals was vehemently defended as part of African culture and religion. But, as a white woman who, for the past 18 years, has vigorously denounced the extreme cruelties involved in factory farming - which is Western culture imported into Africa, I do not accept that culture is 'hallowed ground'.

Human Dignity:

If we focus on the issue of ritual slaughter - and keep out all the red herrings that obfuscate the issue - then, it is common cause surely that plunging a spear into a tied-up, living, sentient being, with an intention not to kill it immediately, is a violent act that causes terror and agony.

This is unacceptable to our understanding of our Constitutional Right to Dignity. Our right to dignity presupposes our desire and our ability to behave in a dignified way. Does dignified behaviour include the purposeful infliction of pain and suffering? Our right to practise our cultural diversities does not excuse such behaviour.

Let's establish this principle: If our Constitutional right to practise our cultural diversities comes into conflict with our constitutional right to dignity, then the former needs to give way to the latter.

Harmful Practices:

Moral progress depends on us leaving behind practices that cause harm. We think of ourselves as righteous while turning a blind eye to any practice that would expose us as otherwise. Why do we live under such false pretences?

Human Sacrifice

Left behind: The Culture of Human Sacrifice - Aztec ritual sacrifice - circa 14th century. Image from: francesfarmersrevenge.com

We need to remember that it wasn't that long ago that similar violent atrocities were carried out against humans and that Apartheid itself was once part of institutional South African 'culture' - defended on 'traditional', 'religious' and 'economic' grounds. Clearly, the sacrifice of humans is no longer acceptable as part of anyone's culture. Why then should animal sacrifice be acceptable if human sacrifice is no longer acceptable?

Biko's Family

While we work on understanding our inherent prejudices against any being that is not made in our own image, let us be guided by the family of a revered South Africa, Steve Biko. They chose to enlist the SPCA's humane services for the ritual slaughter of an ox at the commemoration, in 1997, of the 20th Anniversary of his death (Dispatch 17/9/97). It is reasonable for us to assume that their decision was based on an understanding of Biko's sense of compassion and humanity.  In addition, then-President Nelson Mandela said in his speech at the event: "In time, we must bestow on South Africa the greatest gift - a more humane society." Hear! Hear!