Dare we, as Africans, care about animals?

Is Animal Rights the privileged domain of the world's affluent nations? Dare we care about the well-being of farm animals while so many South Africans live below the bread line?

Dr A M Brandt, poultry veterinary surgeon at the Western Cape Provincial Veterinary Laboratory at Stellenbosch, suggested to Animal Voice recently that animal welfare and well-being should be viewed from a different perspective in Africa and that the animal rights movement was out of touch with the African reality.

Dr Brandt added that she had "no problem" with battery cages and that any overseas scientific reports which have found that battery cages hold severe welfare implications for hens, would not hold up in the African context. **

Dr Brandt's views are shared by many people who feel that caring about animals corresponds with a lack of caring for the well-being of people living in poverty. Could South Africa retain its moral standing while not keeping abreast with animal welfare advances overseas?

Can Africa justify cruelty as a means of feeding the poor?

** - The Department of Agriculture later sent a fax noting that "the opinion expressed telephonically by the veterinarian should be regarded as a personal opinion and not that of the Western Cape Provincial Veterinary Laboratory, the Directorate of Veterinary Services or the Department of Agriculture, Western Cape."

 

Dr David Benatar( Philosophy Department, UCT)

The wellbeing of animals ought to be a universal concern. To suggest that it should receive the attention only of affluent societies is troubling for three reasons:

  1. First, it displays both insenistivity and prejudice. Suffering is bad because of the way it feels. Accordingly, its infliction shoudl be avoided, irrespective of the sex, age, race or species of the being that endures the suffering.
  2. Next, it fails to appreciate the connection between animal and human welfare. The well-being of the poor is not served by inflicting suffering on animals or even killing them. The reverse is true. For instance, land and farming resources are used much more efficiently to feed people on vegetarian diets.
  3. Finally, it aids and abets those who think that decent standards of morality are the domain of first-world countries. There is no reason why Africa should not act as a moral example.
 
Archbishop Tutu, in an official letter from his office in June 1992:

"It is out of our doctrine of Creation that we would be eager to support your efforts to eliminate cruelty to God's creatures. God bless you in your endeavours."

 
Gwen Dumo, community Health Worker, Khayelitsha, says:

"We don't want cruelty in the name of the poor. The poor people of South Africa do not want to be used by the agricultural community as a shield, by means of which farmers can try to defend themselves against accusations of animal exploitation and cruelty.

As poor as we are, we love our animals and a growing number of men and women here in Khayelitsha feel very strongly about the humane treatment of animals.

The farmers sell their chickens live to poor communities like ours. I must say it takes my whole appetite for meat away when I see the way the chickens suffer. It is an insult to assume that becuase we are poor we have no heart."

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