As much as I respect Zulu culture, ukweshwama can never be condoned

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.

Zulus and the Traditional Bull – Wonkie CartOOn!