‘Cruel’ South African Tradition Versus Animal Rights Group

African traditionalists and animal rights campaigners have clashed in South Africa over an annual Zulu festival that includes the killing of a bull. Animal Rights Africa (ASA) has gone to court over the issue.

ASA’s lawsuit names Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini as the main respondent, arguing that the ceremony, known as the Ukweshwama, which involves the bare-handed killing of a bull, is cruel and violates animal anti-cruelty rules. A spokesman for the royal house, however, said the killing of the bull was a symbolic way of thanking God for the first crops of the season. The BBC reported that the commissioner of the Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Commission, Pat Mkhize, had announced a meeting yesterday to try to resolve the conflict out of court. But Independent Online says representatives of the Zulu royal house boycotted the meeting. The ritual is scheduled to take place on December fifth at the Zulu royal palace in Nongoma, in the country’s eastern Kwa-Zulu Natal province. The commission’s Steve Smit said:

Sadly, it appears that the king remains unwilling to enter into any dialogue or mediation and is clearly not prepared to support the efforts of the commission.

He added:

We agreed to the meeting in the hope of reaching some kind of amicable agreement that would result in the suspension of the bull-killing event at this year's Nongoma festival.

Spokesman for the royal house, Nhlanhla Mataka, said he did not see the point of the meeting:

We hold a view that if there was to be a meeting to discuss customs and culture, all cultural groups should be invited. Why single out Zulus?

The Zulu Royal Household feels so strongly about this issue, IOL says, that it has vowed to go ahead with the ritual even if the court forbids it. Meanwhile the commission’s Smit said:

At this late stage we feel that with both parties believing so strongly in their arguments contained in affidavits supporting their beliefs and actions in this matter, we will rely on the judge to decide who is right and who is wrong.

The Cultural Commission is expected to issue a statement later today.