The racialization of animal advocacy in South Africa

Abstract

In 2015, some faculty at the University of Cape Town made a proposal to the Faculty of Humanities that no animal product be served at faculty events. Many black faculty members contested the proposal on the grounds that it was racist and disavowed the importance of the proposal. In this article, I wish to argue that the proposal’s approach neglects the racialized history of animal advocacy in South Africa, while also being carried out at an inopportune time and context. Consequently, it racializes the debate on animal advocacy in South Africa to the extent that it contributes to the African faculty’s disavowal of the proposal and of animal injustice in general. Nevertheless, I also argue that the proposal could have been more successful if it had integrated racial justice concerns and African elements. This is the case because there are good reasons for Africans to support animal justice. Particularly, in the case of South Africa, it can be argued that addressing animal justice is beneficial for improving Africans’ health, a contribution to the elimination of environmental injustice and helpful for Africanizing institutions.