When I was a young child I used to pick my nose, and dare I say, eat what I found inside. Today I do not pick my nose. I now know better, I know not to. I have acquired the awareness and knowledge to know that if my nose needs taking care of I must use a tissue or handkerchief, and blow it. As I have grown from a child into an adolescent, to an adult, I have gained knowledge, education and information, to guide me through my ways and progression through life.

The point I try to make here is that individuals should develop; if we fail to, we then fall into a ‘full-circle’ effect whereby things become stagnant and stale.

Culture, change, survival

This leads to the topic of this paper. Many traditions have stood the test of time. Their rituals have been practiced and praised. However, if all things in societal life progress, develop and even change, should culture not inevitably form part of the transformation as well?

If a culture is negatively impacting on the environment or causing damage to the societal constitution of its country, should the culture not be critically analysed and reconsidered? In his article, “Beyond the Savage Evidence Ethic – A Vindication of African Ethics”, Munyaradzi Felix Murove writes, “A society that does not experience change cannot survive.”⁽²⁾

Reflecting on history, many tribal customs and cultural traditions led to the damaging of the natural environment. Some motifs were for paying homage to ancestors, others for medicinal and healing purposes while others were merely for personal gain, proving individual strength and enjoyment. However, one would like to excuse such behaviour by believing that in bygone days, our ancestors did not know any better and did not have the knowledge and information we have today to guide us through our decisions regarding such practices.

Yet many of these practices continue as ever before, unquestioned and unchanged. Knowing what we know today, together with the presence of legislation and constitutional rights, who should then be excused, in the name of culture? Should the educated and the informed be excused, in the name of culture? Should culture itself be excused simply because it has stood for years? Perhaps then, we should discard all forms of development and modern knowledge, in the name of culture of course.

Although there are several examples of reference to substantiate this discussion, critique is placed on the Zulu ceremony known as Ukweshwama, an annual ritual performed at the beginning of December during the harvesting of the first fruits. This ritual involves men killing a bull. It is believed the strength of the dying bull is transferred to the king.⁽³⁾ Also, this ritual gives thanks to God for the arrival of the harvest. The death of the bull is not the issue of concern here, but the brutal manner in which it is killed, is. “Dozens of people trampled the bellowing, groaning bull, wrenched its head around by the horns to try break its neck, pulled its tongue out, stuffed sand in its mouth and even tried to tie its penis in a knot.”⁽⁴⁾

African ethics rather than culture

Perhaps what needs to be clearly understood is the difference between ethics and culture – in this particular case, African ethics and the cultural ritual of Ukweshwama. This will show the juxtaposition of the two and aid in the proposed pursuit of modernising a culture while continuing to uphold an ethical system.

Such value systems in Africa have traditionally taken a holistic approach to life’s ways, regarding individuals in relation to all other living beings. “Total realisation of the self is impossible without peaceful co-existence with minerals, plants and animals.”⁽⁵⁾

“African ethics arises from an understanding of the world as an interconnected whole whereby what it means to be ethical is inseparable from all spheres of existence… An ethic that arises from a civilisation sensitised to relatedness among all that exists can only be an ethic about relatedness. In African ethics, relatedness is not restricted to human relations but extends to the natural environment. [It] blurs the distinction between humanity and nature.”⁽⁶⁾

Ubuntu is the predominant feature in African ethics. Martin H. Prozesky says, “Ubuntu means that rich, personal creativity, like well-being, is only possible when individuals enjoy the supportive resources of a healthy context made up of other vigorous, fulfilled people and nature, in an on-going process of mutual enrichment. Without that, individuals wither.”⁽⁷⁾

Ubuntu, a notion said to be characteristic in African life and its ethics, thus highlights a strong difference to what is passed off as satisfactory within this Zulu ritual. Compassion, respect and humanness fail to be present in this ritual. It clearly clashes with the ethic of a “peaceful co-existence” with all other elements of life and a definite distinction is placed between humanity and nature.

The Zulu cultural ritual falling short of African ethics

How is it then that such a time-warped ritual is incapable of change? If it is for fear of losing an age old tradition or communal camaraderie, I can understand that. If it is for fear of God’s wrath for failing to give thanks to Him, I too can understand that. But what I fail to understand is how people cannot wish to modify the process in which the bull dies.

If a bull was killed in such a brutal manner as done during this ceremony, on another occasion and without affiliation to the ritual, surely it would not sit comfortably with most people, Zulus included. The idea of tying an animal’s penis into a knot and stuffing sand into its mouth is hardly grounds for a normal killing of an animal. However, when done in the name of culture it seems to be okay, justified.

Top journalist and political analyst Justice Malala, says that in this modern age the ritual of killing the bull in this manner is not an issue regarding culture but rather of what is right and wrong. He says we need to realise, “It is about what carves for us a path into the future as a nation.”⁽⁸⁾

Animal Rights Africa said in a statement ⁽⁹⁾ regarding the need for legal justice, the ceremony does nothing for nation-building. The Government is so quick to speak of democracy and Ubuntu in this new rainbow nation. But with such disregard, harmony and relatedness are hardly embedded in cultural life and are also clearly absent from every day acts.

The link between animal abuse and human violence

A perpetual link between this form of animal abuse and human violence evokes an ever-present fear. Numerous studies have proved this. “Children who witness animal abuse are at a greater risk of becoming abusers themselves.”⁽¹⁰⁾This creates much concern for the youth of the country, who are annually forced to witness the adult men in their lives transform into barbaric-like beings, subjecting their children to the brutality of this ritual.

Animal Rights Africa also suggests this link, “Violence begets violence and violence to animals and violence to human beings is interlinked. There is solid scientific evidence of a definite link between violence to animals and violence perpetrated against people."⁽¹¹⁾

According to a PHD study done by Mary Lou Randour,⁽¹²⁾ the grave concern is that when reaching adulthood, many of these children are psychologically scarred and their perceptions of proper behaviour to people is seriously tainted. Another problem with children witnessing such cruel acts, as reported by the animal rights site, paws.org, is they fail to develop empathy. And empathy is key in the African ethic of Ubuntu.

PeTA ⁽¹³⁾ has also done studies regarding this link sourcing evidence conducted by the American Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Robert K. Ressler, who developed profiles of serial killers for the FBI said, “Murderers ... very often start out by killing and torturing animals as kids.” PeTA’s advice is that communities must recognize that abuse to any living being is unacceptable and endangers everyone. Children should be taught to care for and respect animals.

Immanuel Kant even reflected the link between animal and man stating: “Our duties towards animals, then, are indirect duties towards mankind.”⁽¹⁴⁾

Animal laws

Considering existing legislation against the cruel treatment of animals, the Animal Protection Act of 1962 is an act which offers some sort of legislative ground against the ceremony of Ukweshwama and other cultural practices of a similar nature. However, its enforcement is almost non-existent.

Section 2 of the Act, ‘offences in respect of animals’, states that a person who “…tortures or maims or cruelly beats, kicks, goads or terrifies an animal” is guilty and should be fined or, if unable to pay the fee, imprisoned for a period of time. King Zwelenthini, in allowing the brutal killing of the bull, can be said to be guilty of section 2(2) which states, “the owner of any animal shall be deemed to have permitted or procured the commission or omission of any act in relation to that animal if by the exercise of reasonable care and supervision in respect of that animal he could have prevented the commission or omission of such an act.”

The Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities Act was established in 2002 with a vision “to contribute meaningfully and constructively to social transformation and nation building for the attainment of a truly united South African nation.” Surely, in the name of culture, the Commission can see the Zulu ritual is not in accordance with their vision, and certainly not in accordance with the ethics of Ubuntu.

Concluding comments

This paper does not try to rid culture or its ceremonial rituals; it merely tries to show the need for alternative ways within culture when it impacts the environment negatively. The paper aims to call for a lifestyle true to the Ubuntu ways of interconnection, respecting all living beings and aspiring for a flourishing environment.

The essential need for change is that we know more today than our forefathers knew. And we should therefore know the difference between right and wrong, brutality and ethical humanness.

The longer such practices continue unchanged, the less the nation will progress into unity. The practising of cruel cultures on the environment makes one question whether our supposed civility is not really masked barbarism, leaving one with a great sense of fear for the future of our country.

NOTES :

(1) Contact Louise de Bruin through Consultancy Africa Intelligence's Enviro Africa Unit (enviro.africa@consultancyafrica.com).
(2) Murove, M.F. “Beyond the Savage Evidence Ethic: A Vindication of African Ethics” in Murove, M.F. (ed) African Ethics (2009) 25
(3) Justice Malala, ‘Culture no excuse for cruelty’, The Times, 6 December 2009, http://www.timeslive.co.za.
(4) http://www.wonkie.com
(5) Bujo, B. “Ecology and Ethical Responsibility from an African Perspective” in African Ethics (2009) 281
(6) Murove, M.F. African Ethics (2009) 28
(7) Prozesky, M.H. “Cinderella, Survivor and Saviour: African Ethics and the Quest for a Global Ethic” in African Ethics (2009) 10
(8) Justice Malala, ‘Culture no excuse for cruelty’, The Times, 6 December 2009, http://www.timeslive.co.za.
(9) ‘Animal Rights Africa goes to High Court over Ukweshwama Ritual’, 22 November 2009, http://www.animalrightsafrica.org.
(10) ‘Understanding the link between animal abuse and family violence’, http://americanhumane.org.
(11) ‘Animal Rights Africa goes to High Court over Ukweshwama Ritual’, 22 November 2009, http://www.animalrightsafrica.org.
(12) Randour, M.L. ‘What we know about the link between animal abuse and human violence’, http://www.21stcenturycares.org.
(13) ‘Animal Abuse and Human Abuse: Partners in Crime’, http://www.peta.org.
(14) Kant, I. Lectures on Ethics (1930) 241

Written by Louise de Bruin ⁽¹⁾