One of the sources of great pride to most South Africans is the presence among us of the Zulu nation. At once loyal and courageous this band of brothers took on the might of the British Empire during the 19th century with primitive weaponry and never gave ground.
As such their prowess as a great warrior nation has earned world renown.
From the great Shaka kaSenzangakhona to our current King Goodwill Zwelithini kaBhekuzulu they have been respected by the British, the apartheid regime and the ANC even when the Zulus were not in effective control of the highest offices in the land.
No matter who it was that held power at the time, they always sought to obtain the blessing of the Zulu kings and their followers in order to facilitate an easier passage. As South Africans we may well remember the time that Jeppe Hostel and others became the focal point of hostilities because the Zulus believed that they were being shafted. Just as the British at the time of Shaka and many after them, the people of Gauteng found out that vastly outnumbering the Zulus doesn’t mean that victory is yours — not by any means.
Theirs is a wonderful culture which marries traditional beliefs regarding their ancestors and Christianity. Everything from clothing to the wedding ceremony marks them out as an individual group which proudly hands down its ways from generation to generation.
Numbering 11 million plus — the bulk of whom (about 8 million) are located in KwaZulu-Natal — the Zulus are very much at the centre of power in South Africa today. Though Chief Mangosuthu Buthelezi was appointed as minister of home affairs in the post-apartheid government it was only upon the inauguration of Jacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma (born April 12 1942) as the president of South Africa, that the Zulu nation could finally claim that they had finally occupied the most powerful office in the land.
Accordingly the Zulu nation as part of South Africa and indeed the world community enjoys a respect far beyond their numbers.
It is well-deserved.
Unfortunately there are times when their culture and those of others are going to clash. Yesterday was one such occasion when the annual umkhosi wokweshwama ceremony raised the hackles of animal-rights groups who believe that the method of killing the bull constitutes animal cruelty.
As most are aware this issue landed up before the Pietermaritzburg High Court, which ordered that the ritual be allowed to proceed.
The king was outraged and told those present yesterday that it was “despicable” to suggest that Zulus had no respect for animal rights and a “wonderful” ritual would not be spoiled by people who “claim to know our culture more than we do”.
According to a report by Nathi Olifant on IOL 30 warriors caught the raging bull as it ran around the Enyokeni royal palace. Barehanded, the warriors wrestled the bull to the ground and smothered the bellowing creature. It took about 20 minutes for the bull to die.
Unfortunately that has to constitute animal cruelty of the worst kind and as much as I respect Zulu culture it can never be condoned. An animal being chased by 30 men who kill it in what must have been an agonising 20 minutes of horrendous proportions, is so horrific that it almost defies description.
I accept that there are thousands of examples of animal cruelty in other cultures ranging from battery hens and clubbing seals to whaling and shooting wild animals for sport.
They receive the same rebuke as this does and lend no support to the Zulu argument I’m afraid.
Thought the king might believe that opposition to the ritual it is a slight on Zulu culture, it is not. Yes people do not know the culture as well as the practitioners thereof but that is not necessary to understand when an act of cruelty — which this clearly is — has occurred.
As stated above, Zulu culture and traditions are held in high esteem the world over but like every culture there are parts which other cultures find difficult to accept and this is definitely one of them.
As always a form of compromise can be found without anyone being offended.
@Rose Morrow again…
I am sure the Zulu King serves his people, but do you think a bunch of Bwana’s who espouse beliefs very foreign to him, do not talk his language, probably don’t know very much about his culture or history, are the people he is obliged to listen to and serve?
I love how this has been turned from an animal cruelty issue into a cultural issue. No-one wanted the festival to be stopped, and no-one expected that a bull would not be killed. We “hysterical” animal rightists were just hoping the animal wouldn’t be subjected to protracted agony.
ARA asked for discussion, the Zulu “king” flat-out refused to talk to them. Surely a spirit of tolerance or just plain politeness would have prompted him to at least hear their concerns. And everyone jumped on the “ARA = bad” bandwagon without having a clue what they’re about, and without bothering to find out.
What’s worse is that we’ve been told that ARA doesn’t in fact really have facts about the killing of the bull, and they are prevented from filming it to gather more facts. Why?
May I remind the readers that South Africa is a signatory to international anti-cruelty legislation.
I would have imagined that people whose rights were stepped on so much in the past would have some compassion. And in fact the Zulu people I know personally are all warm, compassionate people who actually do care about animals. So does the “king” really represent the wishes of the Zulu people?
At any rate, I wish people would consider the fact that this is not about disrespecting culture. It is about respecting life.
I back the King ,his Majesty for not bordering exchanging the words with all the whingers in this blogging who think there know everything and deserve right to challenge anyone.
Back to his Majesty, what is hiden here to be declared,in this ceremony? As King offers the bull to warriors and warriors displays their energy and pride to their king, by undergoing an exercise which takes the bull strenght to convince the king that the warriors he commands are healthy,energetic and well disciplined as soldiers.
The bull has to provide a braai at the end ,which is not an issue.
There is a culture in sports ,inclu.boxing,Ruby and Resling, these sports are dangerous ,practiced global and millions of foxes paying to watch them with human casualities, but none of these whingers has ever raise any complain or comment about ignorence to those organising or partaking in such, but to those you look down upon you think you have to hail insult and make an unholding point as if you know better with risk and abuses than anyone else.
Just back off, this a culture for the Zulus with a full meaning to the Zulus ,than none Zulus and Zulus dont have to bulge to yo ignorence.
To be simple and clear from afrocentric percpetive with regard to this culture, if you shoot,stab or poison to kill the bull using those methods of killing as convinient to the eyes of the ARA and likes ,that procedure wont meet the creteria and standard of UKWESHWAMA CULTURE as the king is not a commander of the cowards, lazy , frail and eldery who have sit there being lazy and wait for meat consumption as you buy it ready from a butcher.
Here you talk about the zulu culture which is perculiar to other ethnic cultures, which is chareterised by ,braveness,muscles, energy and a disciplined command that Zulus beleive in as inherited from generations to generations of our warriors who were practical,physical and hands on action to be simple and clear to foreign cultures that confuses their assumptions with times we live on to our aged culture.
@mallencolly
Why does the Zulu King have to have a legal funtion?
Do all monarch’s serve only a legal purpose?
“As the custodian of Zulu traditions and customs, His Majesty King Goodwill Zwelithini kaBhekuzulu has revived cultural functions such as the umhlanga, the colourful and symbolic reed dance ceremony which, amongst other things, promotes moral awareness and AIDS education among Zulu women, and the Ukweshwama the first fruits ceremony, which is a traditional function involving certain traditional rituals.
He has also traveled abroad extensively to promote tourism and trade for KwaZulu-Natal, and to fundraise for Zulu-supported charities.”
Copyright 2009 Royal Zulu Monarch. All Rights Reserved.Site by Growgraphics
http://www.zulumonarch.co.za/
@melancholly…
I don’t see anyone tacking you to court for being a vegan??
@mallencolly
Ahem, I was only quoting you further up:
@mallencolly = “While you are at it read about Vegan Ethics and the Philosophy of Animal Rights.”
I hate it when people see issues in isolation just because it suits them. If you are interfering with a persons culture of course its as much a cultural issue as an animal rights issue.
And yes animal rights activists can get very hit up and hysterical, ask anyone of them to interpret the PMB judgement that exonerated the King then ask a lawyer to interpret it for you, different planets.
And it appears vegans are haughty and anti-social, don’t like them, even though I admire their vegan ethics.
Its time to see things in a more wholistic perspective, not just legal, or cultural, or historical, all that and much more makes us human in the world we interact in.
If ARA want to improve their image its up to them and not everyone else to find out. People are getting things wrong its because ARA are not communicating their message properly.
The ARA need to learn that perceptions count as much or even more than the truth. They should have known taking the Zulu King to court would polarise South Africa.
I mean how naive can you be?
But being naval gazers they were so sure only animal rights matter; stuff historical context, stuff culture, stuff race relations, stuff past politics. Now lets see them sort it out.
@Suits me sir,well said Brother!These people came here univited,destroyed one of the promising cultures with lies & more lies. Do you guys really think that us ordinary folks give a damn about what you have to say.
Settlers make the same mistake the world over.They don’t take time to learn more about customes & practices of the natives of the country they settles in.Instead they try to impose their own values on every one els.
@ Get Real
“but what perception does the king have ”
perception? Nuff said. He was not accommodating due to perception.
“I probably know more about them than you give me credit for, ”
I make no judgement about you and vegan ethics.
” but I do have a problem with the historical context the king finds himself in and people ignoring his cultural mores and ethics and taking him to court. ”
So because of the action of some people centuries ago, you think goodwill is above the law? Did he not ignore them by refusing to speak to them?
“white man riding roughshod over the Zulu once more because they ‘represent a world wide movement’”
You forgot to include the ‘and encomapsses all races’. You’re getting dishonest in your arguments now.
@ Andy
“Why does the Zulu King have to have a legal funtion?
Do all monarch’s serve only a legal purpose?”
Because it is the law that has he has a legal function. Thats why he gets to spend ridiculous amounts of money and complain that his people are hungry.
@ crackpot
” I don’t see anyone tacking you to court for being a vegan?? ”
As far as I know eating vegetables is still legal. If anyone feels like it, they are welcome to try.
@ Wise Old Joe
“Ahem, I was only quoting you further up:”
In amongst that section you quoted you will see the words “read about” as opposed to “read”. Try reading it again.
@mallencolly
Its so easy to glibbly dismiss everything everyone says and not come up with a compromise or solution either, except insist you are right i.e. the Zulu King should have listened to the Bwana’s from Animal Rights Africa.
Animal rights activists and vegans have gone down in my estimation, though I support the principles.
Go ahead, take the King to court again and again and again and impose an international animal rights law that he does not understand on him if that is all your narrow mind can concieve of.
I believe there are better solutions but I am not prepared to discuss them in a forum with a one track minded individual.
Why through my pearls before swine?
@ Suits me sir so stuff you
“And it appears vegans are haughty and anti-social, don’t like them, even though I admire their vegan ethics.”
What do you base that on? The fact that an animal rights organisation will resort to the courts if the people they wanted to engage in discussion do not have the courtesy to do so?
@ Wise Old Joe
“I believe there are better solutions but I am not prepared to discuss them in a forum with a one track minded individual.”
Like what exactly? That the matter be discussed between interested parties? That’s exactly what ARA wanted.
@ sgubhusenkwishi
First off sports like rugby tend to be played by informed and consenting adults, rather unlike the bull in the Ukweshwama ritual. Secondly, are you saying that the cruelty is an essential part of the ritual?
@ Wise Old Joe
“ Its so easy to glibbly dismiss everything everyone says and not come up with a compromise or solution either, except insist you are right “
Perhaps it is worth taking a step back here and remember that you said that “Animal Rights Africa need … find a way to speak to the King through intermediataries if necessary.”
In case you missed my point, If you are going to insist that ARA should’ve done whatever, please ensure that you are correct.
ARA approached the royal household and then tried intermdiaries. It was only after this failed that they went to court for an interdict.
@mallencolly @EvylShnukums
Get a life. The King refused to talk. I support the stance he took after how racist colonists and paranoid control freaks have destroyed Zulu culture in the past.
Who says he won’t talk through intermediataries at a later date?
You cannot change the past. The future is full of possibilities. But if you can see no further than vegan ethics or that the king gave ARA the middle finger a few weeks ago fine. Wallow in your narrow as razor blade mind set.
What I’ve come to learn is that companies that want to global send people to those countries to learn about the cultures, the people and the like to avoid offending the host countries and their people. That tends to pay for itself in many ways but most importantly, for me at least, saves these companies millions in unnecessary litigation costs such as the one ARA had to foot, if they did.
Besides, ARA should not expect support from ordinary SA citizens. Animal rights come last to someone who is hungry, unemployed and feels animal rights come before theirs.
Stop imposing yourselves on people because you feel like it. You may think your morals and ethics are the best but in reality, people have their own interpretations.
ARA should learn from the DA/COPE’s inability to gain any meaningful support from ordinary and especially black people. You don’t talk at someone but to them. How can you expect to win people over when you tell them that their differing from you is because they’re savages, barbaric and backwards.
Wise up.
@melancholly
As far as I know killing a bull is still legal, and the right was joyfully embraced… sorry…
In my opinion until Animal Rights Africa can be certain that they will be able to push through an agenda of animal life equal to human life they do not want to meet King Goodwill.
@Crackpot
Killing a bull may be legal, however, the manner in which it is killed may be illegal.
Unfortunately many things involving cruelty are “embraced” by some among us, that doesn’t make it right.
In Britain the Royal Society for the Protection of Animals existed for some time before the formation of the National Society for the Protection of Children. In fact the latter took their cue from the RSPCA and used them as an example as to how to go about preventing cruelty to children. It is a fact that people who are cruel to animals are likely to develop into people who are cruel to humans.
If one’s “pride” and culture rely on being cruel to animals then your culture is a sad case indeed.
@ crackpot
And according to the Animal Protection Act torturing a bull is not.
@ S’fiso Khumalo
That is the biggest misconception about animal rights and why I have been assking people to read up about it. The underlying thinking of animal rights is not ‘animals or humans’ it is ‘animals and humans’.
@ Wise Old Joe
I have a life, thanks. One filled with compassionate people, living animals and tasty vegetables. Neither I nor the bull had any part in what racist colonists did to Zulu culture.
How many more animals must die a slow, painful death before the king will deign to talk through intermediaries?
As for vegan ethics, once you read up on it you may find it’s not that narrow. Every animal rightist I know is also a passionate supporter of human rights. Usually their compassion for animals flowed from their initial recognition of universal, inalienable rights. My position is that cultural rights do not necessarily trump the rights to life or bodily integrity of humans or animals. We can all imagine what sort of inhuman practices can and have been perpetrated under the banner of “culture”. Killing a bull is not illegal. Torturing an animal is. Are we saying blind acceptance of culture is more important than law?
@mallencolly
The point I was trying to make is that all these groups that are pushing ideals like ARA need to wake up to this simple fact: desist from engaging people like you know it all.
For instance, the king maybe upset about being dragged to court and being told that if he wants to stick to culture then he must also go back to living in a mud hut but his subjects are livid, me included. Read posts of a group called uMzulu on facebook.
Be modern, be educated and all things that your culture affords but be weary of dancing on the heads of those you feel need to be on a par with you in terms of modernity, morals and ethics for they might feel the need to shake you off.
And, I would tell you the reason why the bull needs to bellow before it dies but you would tell me in your enlightened attitude that ancestral involvement in this is mambo jumbo.
@ S’fiso Khumalo
” The point I was trying to make is that all these groups that are pushing ideals like ARA need to wake up to this simple fact: desist from engaging people like you know it all. ”
I do not believe they have. They approached the king and were met with refusal to talk. In approaching the king, I believe, they showed some cultural sensitivity and willingness to engage in a manner that is appropriate. One thing you must remember though, is they feel as strongly as you about this. So perhaps their intitial spirit of respect should have been reciprocated.
“if he wants to stick to culture then he must also go back to living in a mud hut but his subjects are livid, me included. ”
I cannot imagine that any representative of ARA would say that. Is it not other poeple that are saying that? I have seen it all over the place. My issue here is people making assumptions about what organisations do or do not do.
” And, I would tell you the reason why the bull needs to bellow before it dies but you would tell me in your enlightened attitude that ancestral involvement in this is mambo jumbo.”
I do not have the same beliefs, certainly, but would be intersted to hear it.
@EvylShnukums
“How many more animals must die a slow, painful death before the king will deign to talk through intermediaries?”
- that depends on the outspoken white man who represents ARA. When he decides to get off his pedistal and acknowledge the Zulu monarch as king of the Zulu instead of a mere civil servant and is prepared to publically state he respects the Zulu, culture even if he does not agree with it, maybe, just maybe, the Zulu monarch will forgive ARA for their high handed indiscretions and talk to them.
The ball is in ARA’s court.
@ Wise Old Joe
Did the representatives of ARA say that are you just making it up?
@Michael Trapido
My final take on this debate is neither the Zulu nor the vegans want to negotiate. The vegans may have deep pockets (overseas funding for animal rights), so they will continue to find excuses to take the Zulu Monarch to court until they can either get animal rights to life = human rights to life included in the law in this country and all South Africans become vegans by law, or they exhaust all legal options and be forced to negotiate with the Zulu for a compromise.
Watch this space.