Contesting the African ritual of animal slaughtering as intangible cultural heritage: A case of Tony Yengeni in South Africa

This article seeks to highlight the understanding of and insight into the African ritual of animal slaughtering in South Africa. Reference will be made to the ritual as performed by the African National Congress (ANC) activist, Tony Yengeni after being released from prison in 2007. Furthermore, the paper shows its implications for current debates on intangible heritage and human rights in South Africa. It adopts a descriptive and narrative approach to the issue of animal slaughtering for the purpose of ritual performance. The questions asked in this paper are developed within a discussion of the academic and policy literature relevant to intangible cultural heritage. The paper shows the utilisation of heritage discourses in debates over multiculturalism. In evaluating Tony Yengeni s case, a more comprehensive approach is developed in order to give a better appreciation of the intangible cultural heritage as a source of cultural identity, creativity and diversity. Through this paper, a moderate understanding of the different types of rituals performed in South Africa is acknowledged. It is through this understanding, that the notion of a united Rainbow Nation may be achieved.