The Scramble for Africa which began in the 1880s has been largely blamed for disrupting and eroding the cultural practices and traditions of Africans. Africans have maintained that colonialism and imperialism served to entrench Western values while undermining their way of life. The rise of African nationalism since the end of colonisation imbued those who saw modernity as a threat to their culture to actively guard against external influences on their way of life. Often these cultural extremists were not able to draw a clear distinction between the progressions of humanity as a result of technological impact and modernity and deliberate acts that serve to undermine the African way of life.
The technological superiority of the Western is often misinterpreted as suggesting cultural superiority over Africans to the extent that Africans themselves reject modernity in other instances as they perceive that to be undermining their culture. The problem also lies with Westernised Africans who reject African culture in favour of Western values and religion and are unable to appreciate the richness of their own culture while continuously redefining certain traditional practices as humanity evolves and the world around changes.
It is perhaps important to attempt to define what “culture” is as opposed to “tradition” as it has become apparent that some cultural extremists are unable to see the difference. Culture itself primarily refers to the value system and shared attitudes that characterise a group of people or society, their human expression and the way in which they perceive and interpret the nature of the world around them.
Cultural practices have a particular meaning that speaks to the values we embrace as a people. The content and meaning of culture as projected through certain practices should never change nor be compromised but the tradition through which such cultural meaning or values find expression does evolve. Tradition ensures continuity of culture and its transmission from one generation to the next and with each generation certain traditional practices which are considered archaic and irrelevant will ordinarily be abandoned. It is not a given that the latest generation will enthusiastically inherit some of these practices from the former without questioning them. With each generational change comes a new form of cultural expression, often to the horror of cultural extremists who stubbornly refuse to adapt to changing circumstances despite facing the risk of rendering themselves primitive.
To make a practical example of the above, let us look at the cultural practice of paying lobola. This is a traditional custom aimed at uniting two families together, those of the groom-to-be and bride-to-be. This is a form of expression of gratitude by the groom-to-be’s parents to their family for having presented them with a wonderful and beautiful future daughter-in-law while the groom-to-be communicates to his future parents-in-law that he is capable of supporting and taking care of their daughter.
Traditional lobola payment was in the form of cattle because in olden days before the emergence of plastic money, cattle were the primary source of wealth. Today the dictates of modern times have rendered cattle as payment irrelevant to the extent that the uncles who have embraced these advancements have speedpoint machines to accept lobola through credit-card payments. Despite these changes in traditional practices, the cultural significance of lobola has not changed.
It is important that when we defend certain traditional practices we understand what informed them from the onset and that we do not shoot off blindly on a tangent and claim that our culture is facing some external onslaught.
It appears that the Zulu monarchists have by their behaviour projected themselves as being cultural extremists who, despite the progression of time, wish to stubbornly uphold certain traditions. Ukweshwama is a traditional thanksgiving that has been practised by the Zulu nation for time immemorial before the harvesting of crops. According to the tradition no crops may be harvested until they are blessed by the king and his sangomas. At his traditional ceremony Zulu warriors kill a bull barehanded by strangling it to death. Perhaps during the days of King Shaka such display of heroism by Zulu warriors was much more relevant as the era was about the survival of the fittest. What purpose does this practise serve in modern times? Are those men who display their brute force and cruelty to a defenceless animal considered warriors? Is this for the amusement of the Zulu king or to stroke his royal ego? Are there even any crops to be harvested?
The hysteria that has met the court challenge by Animal Rights Africa (ARA) is unwarranted. Almost every black person I heard comment on the issue took a defensive position claiming “their” culture was being undermined by “these whites”. The issue has morphed from a debate about Ukweshwama to racial mudslinging.
The arrogance of the Zulu royal family in refusing to address this issue has not been too helpful, even more so that ARA is represented by an outspoken white man. It is an idiotic debate which could have been resolved between the ARA and the Zulu royal family without the involvement of the courts. The biased involvement of the ANC’s Commission on Religious and Traditional Affairs into this bull saga is also unnecessary as it further entrenches the false perception that an African culture is under threat.
A lot of posters insist on equating the killing of animals for food or ritual with what appears to be the unneccesarily cruel and prolonged torture of an animal.
This in spite of the fact that many other posters have made that very point.
It is a pity these threads can’t be more of a conversation than simple point scoring. I’m sure that would be more productive.
While the treatment of farm animals and conditions in abbatoirs may leave much to be desired, it is the SPCA and ARA which ensure cruelty is kept to a minimum
So accusing these organisations of hypocrisy is completely unjust.
My brother Sentleste you are an intelligant brain washed African boy, no matter how good you may put your argument blacks will remain blacks with their culture and traditoin which they were, are and will practice with a reason.Human riths start at respacting other people’s way of living why then dont you respect and leave Zulus alone. White will never approve anything done by blacks, killing a bull the traditional way or shoting it by gun (western) it is still killing. so the killer chooses what suits his intended use of the curcus.
What is the purpose of having a (Zulu) “king” in a democracy? Surely a kingdom is an outdated custom? South Africa is an independant republic with an elected government, no royalty is needed. If the person wants to be “king”, let him and his underlings support him, and not the taxpayers. The same goes for all traditional leaders in this country.
Two years ago I had one of my neighbers call SPCA to my house claiming that I was illtreating my dogs. I found a note that afternoon on my dining table from SPCA stating that they do not understand why she had called them because the dogs seemed healthy and well looked after.
This is a clear example of how far the white man is prepared to put a black man’s life under a magnifying glass in order to lecture him on whether he is leaving up to his standards or not.
The slaughtering of animals is here to stay whether you like or not in the same way the bull will continue. We have seen a black man in this country reclaim his culture and pride after the fall of apartheid and as a result it became fashionable to be seen in African traditional attire at weddings and important functions. We have also seen the white man through the media and selected organisations trying his best to ridicule and demonise the African culture and rituals.
We have heard about Yengeni’s slaughtering of the bull and during the time there was no mention of whether the bull would be strangled or stabbed with a spear or shot. It was just not accpetable in their eyes. Well some of us couldn’t care what you think or practise behind your walls or closed doors.
in my book death is death no matter how it comes. No one or nothing nwants to be killed period. You eat meat dont complain about about the practise. By the way most people eat lamb, is it really fair to eat baby sheep, or even lobsters that are boiled alive? You dnt see Zulus complaining so leave them and let them do their thing.
I applaud you for this blog post, it is one of the few that have anything intelligent to say in general (let alone just about this bull event).
Unfortunately the comments below are once again as per usual of the MG users, idiotic, nonsensical and a mish mash of poorly constructed ideas and emotions.
The way white people carry on, is it any wonder blacks fall into the trap of thinking they’re all racist, and anything they want is with slavery in mind, and black people, wow, how hard is it to try move on and look at things objectively, you moan about the evil whites, yet you seem to separate in “them” and “us” so easily.
White and black, you’re the cancer killing your country, fighting ghosts, while criminals both bare footed and gucci loafer-ed are smiling all the way to the bank. Catch a wake up.
I believe the point of Sentletse’s article was to suggest that traditions and cultures change and should change. I cannot comment on the accuracy of the facts. There appear to be 2 types of response to his article. The first are objective, sometimes opposing, sometimes supporting, opinions, the second are rabid, silly, political points scoring responses. For South Africa to succeed as a great nation into the distant future, the former type of response needs to be promoted, the second type needs to be drastically reduced. Sadly I don’t have the answers as to how…..everyone who responds to such a blog could make a start by trying to be objective (through objection or support)and sensitive (without bending over backwards and seeing your backside). Regardless of (according to some respondents) apparent inaccuracies of Sentletse’s blog, it represents a well balanced and measured piece of writing.
Lebohang — there’s really no such thing as “famous Italian bull-fighting”. Italians haven’t fought bulls for at least 1500 years now.
@Lyndall Beddy – Actually the first Bantu peoples that arrived almost 2000 years ago with cattle and crops and also brought iron and iron smelting technologies. The crops were sorghum, a type of sweet potato (the little mudimbis not the pink ones) and a few other things. The use of arrival is almost wrong as it was not a trek but a slow expansion of a farming frontier.
See Krige, EJ (1936) The social system of the Zulus.
Got to the Killie Campbell or any museum and ask to see their archives. The subject librarians are very helpful and would be delighted to deal with queries and these sources are open tot eh public just rarely used.
Go to Ulundi and check out the museum there. Look for any old Zulu man or women that has deep rural roots and ask about there old ceremonies.
The whole arguement by the author around the culture in question is down to lack of understanding as to what culture means? Any type of culture you ever came across from all the nationalities across the walks of life does nt have to be measured of justified by any form of schooling to overule it than what that individual nation beleive in as its practice.
From creation God , paved a way and made it right for human population to live on meat and plants, by so saying that indirectly meant that plants and and animals will be destroyed ,whatever menthod used for human population to consume for their survival.
To humans , either you poison,shoot,stab ,strangulate ,another human that means killing which is literaly makes no difference to animals, as those actions result to life lost, whether duration of killing is short or long that does nt make a difference as the result remains the same.
So as for me as a zulu, I view this as an attempt to insult the zulus than anything.As we have done nothing than killing the animal that we eat here , not donkeys that does nt form part of our meat.But we are killing what God gave permission over to us to eat.
I am not aware what relation to God ,these ARA are they having to contradict the permission that God gave to us in terms of consumption choice.
I have got no respect for the Ara, I have seen the
I have seen the white people, befriending pets , includng cats and dogs .
I have seen some kissing dogs and sharing the bed with dogs, but I have nt had from these ARA AND SPCA,complaining about that of which I Beleive dogs have got their bull dogs to give company not humans, if ARAS and SPCA of these world has got any advocates to play they would have intervened in such ungodly human animal relationship ,than taking chances in teaching africans what culture to follow ? what is painful and what not?
Our african moderates who want to be accepted by the western hypocrats , must do their assignments properly before they jump over to their unholy wagons!
We are what we are and we are what we beleive in, take it or leave it!
It is upto the Zulu’s to decide, not other cultures. By that I stand. Now I might not like that tradition but then it really has nothing to do with me. One thing Sentletse, given the fact that the west has imposed its culture on Africa during colonialism, and as that imposition stopped almost 30, 40 or 50 years ago in most African countries why has there not being the renaissance that Mbeki initiated. Surely Africans should have embraced this? But why haven’t they?
Lyndall Beddy never fails at insulting blacks. Why would you say that Zulus never grew crops. What on earth do you suppose they subsisted on? Or are you trying to propagate the myth that they were from North Africa and that the only people who lived here were the San. I thought that issue was resolved when someone tried to educate as to the history of Africa before your ancestors came here to settle. I think I even INFORMED you that there were NO NATIONAL BORDERS AND THEREFORE NO SUCH COUNTRY AS ‘SOUTH AFRICA’. Africans lived all over the continent at various stages, depending on circumstances ;climate, wars, survival etc. Get over it. Europeans are the only settlers here(with the exception of recent immigrants who came through Home Affairs and did not ‘settle by the gun’) and there is nothing wrong with being a settler because you are more a part of Africa than, say, an African-American. Relax!
Ah yes – the Worship of the Great God of Culture.
Back in the UK, many working class white males are also supremely proud of their Culture – going to the football match; tanking up before the game; at the end of the match, releasing their violence on the terraces and in the streets because their team has lost.
And forget not the skinheads – another glorious example of white, male, working-class British culture.
Have black, working-class males now become so superior to their white brothers that they are now beyond criticism?
Phillipa
The Zulus and the Xhosa did not grow crops – how could they? With no ploughs and no draft animals?
They lived off the land – plants like moroga ( like spinage ). And they hunted for meat – cattle were only eaten as a luxury.
Other tribes like the Shona cultivated crops and the Matebele (an offshoot of the Zulus) merely raided their villages.
And the Zulus arrived in SA in about the 16th century. The blacks are as much settlers as the whites. The only indigeneous people of SA are the brown (NOT black) Khoisan.
Michael Francis
Have you any idea how much fake history and culture is written down?
I have family written records – they LIVED with the Zulus from the time of Dingaan!!!!!
Phillipa
Shaka himself said his ancestor was a king in the Congo Basin and his people migrated from there.
Why don’t you actually read some books written AT THE TIME!
Phillipa
Can you get it into your head that prior to the Great Trek there were FEW people and MANY animals – whole herds of them. Also Many plants.
Why would the Nguni cultivate what they could pick and catch for free?
Cultivation is necessary when you have many people and not enough land, plants and animals.
@Lyndall Beddy: “blacks are settlers”. Now that is hilarious! Do you honestly think anybody would take that seriously. All of Africa has always belonged to all Africans! There was NO SOUTH AFRICA BEFORE WHITE SETTLERS. There were simply no national borders. ‘South Africa’ is a colonial construction.
You said it yoursef; there is a lot of “fake history and fake culture written down”. That is exactly waht you read and where you derive your crazy far-fetched theories about black “settlers”. (LOL!).
Phillipa
I have a degree in History from UCT and graduated as one of the top 3. You can check if you like – Lyndall Beddy 1968.
I studied History i.e. I read books – and still do. I could give you a reading list – but it would be a waste of time.
All blacks came from Central Africa – and were spread around North Africa and the rest of the world as slaves. To Southern Africa they migrated over 2000 years.
Phillipa
Sorry – Lyndall Buchanan(maiden name) 1968
Phillipa
The present rulers of Egypt, Libya and the Sudan are not black Africans either but descendents of the Muslims conquerors of over a millenium ago.
You have heard of Anthony and Cleopatra? She was the last Pharoah of Egypt and he was one of Caesar’s generals who conquered Egypt.
She was not indigeneous Egyptian or black either – but Greek, from Greek conquerors of the previous Pharoahs.
The Roman Empire was conquered by Muslims – including North Africa and the Middle East, even the Southern part of Spain.
If you find history books boring – try reading biographies.
Lyndall Beddy saps your energy for her enjoyment and pleasure. Best ignore her and not give her the high she so craves. Either that or she has a strong racist agenda.
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