Cruel [manner of] killing of cows in lobola ceremonies must STOP

[NB: Square brackets in this updated version because some people misread and misinterpreted the article to mean that it is the killing of the bull that is opposed. People started making wild claims that the article says people must no longer eat meat during celebrations]

People who have attended lobola ceremonies will know that one of the most important aspects of such ceremonies is the slaughter of at least two male cows. These two cows may be bulls or oxen or one of each. For purposes of this discussion let us assume that bulls are slaughtered.

Whilst in urban areas the slaughter of a bull during lobola ceremonies is not usually practiced, in rural areas it is still rampant, owing mainly to the fact that material conditions there still allow for the existence of a kraal and enough space for performing other rites. Rural areas have ample space to conduct the slaughtering and, further, the object of lobola is mainly cattle, although money is also increasingly being used. Two bulls are killed during the ceremony.

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How the killing happens

There may be variations in different communities and families. The dominant practice is for one person, usually a man referred to as a gozolo, to enter the kraal where a number of cattle will be, including the targeted two bulls. He uses a spear to stab each bull on the side of its stomach, next to one of its front legs. This happens whilst a huge crowd watches and sings songs of jubilation either outside or inside the kraal, depending on kraal size. This process can go on for a very long time depending on the strength of the bull and the skill of the gozolo. Ultimately the bull dies, but only after a very long time. [It is the manner of killing the bull, including the long process it takes for it to die that is challenged here, and not necessarily the killing of the bull during these ceremonies].

Picture found via Google. The cow may not have been slaughtered during a lobola ceremony.

The cruelty

The [manner of of the] slaughter of lobola bulls is manifestly a cruel practice. It is cruel to the animal being speared and to the rest of the cattle in the kraal. The argument that animals have no feelings like human beings is obviously a lame one. There is clear evidence that cattle do get traumatised when one of their own is subjected to abuse of any kind. Killing of a bull in front of other cattle is therefore a cruel act.

The chants outside the kraal also cannot be ignored. They also contribute to the animal’s trauma. The animal gets traumatised by the huge noise whilst it gets speared multiple times on its side. The same torture is visited upon the rest of the cattle who are not being killed.

Whatever the roots and justifications of this practice, it cannot be denied that it is not correct at all. Some people will claim that the criticism of this cruel practice is nothing but one of those ‘un-African’ and ‘anti-black’ criticisms which do nothing but condone and justify colonialism, racism and white supremacy. But if we are serious about building and strengthening Africa, we must not shy away from abolishing backward and cruel practices. Whether such practice is done by blacks or whites, the practice remains cruel. This includes the bull runs that are popular in Spain. These have been criticised by animal rights activists many times. The same criticisms of lobola bull-killings must apply to them and vice versa.

Conclusion

Africa needs to redefine itself in accordance with changed material conditions. The cruel ways used to kill cows during lobola ceremonies must stop. There is nothing unAfrican or anti-black about stopping this tradition. Holding on to such cruel practices simply because they are tradition can never be justified. Instead new quicker and less traumatising ways of killing the lobola bull must be found. 

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