Animal right has been widely recognized in the West, any person who violates such right will be treated accordingly, as it continues to grow widespread on which level Africa has gone to implement and practicalize it. Animal welfare in Africa has raised a lot of eyebrows, in a traditional African society practices that come with animal sacrifice is very rife and often time it has been passed down from generation to generation, altering such practice that has find a place in people’s tradition and livestock trading has been a sustainable factor in Africa for farmers who trade basically on it, for that to change in disguise of animal right protection will take a long conversation.
Where it has been a source of livelihood African people have been heavily involved in livestock trading, killing of animals for rites is one of the commonest practices in Africa chickens, goats and cattle have been the subject matter when slaughtering of animals for ceremonial functions are involved. In recognizing animal right in Africa, in many sub-Sahara countries no reference is made to protection of animal welfare in their constitution, although several African countries have legislation that seek to prevent animal cruelty and abuse. The most comprehensive animal welfare Act in Africa is Tanzania’s Animal Welfare legislation, in many African countries such legislation has been widely limited.
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In a society where protection of animal right has been widely debated, people have started to give relevance to it, which could be easier in the West, where there are no traditional or cultural dealings that related to slaughtering of animals. It is a different case in Africa, where it has gone beyond slaughtering of animals for rites to a busy trading activity in Africa. Lack of tolerance of Africa culture has created conflicts between traditional slaughter and animal welfare groups. It has been a contested case in South Africa, in 2009, Animal Right Africa Trust filed a case against sacrificing a bull in the Zulu annual celebration of the First Fruits, where these cases have gone to court it has been found in favour of those wishing to conduct the sacrifice.
The method of killing animals has been contested by animal welfare group as cruelty especially cutting from the throat. Livestock has been linked to the wealth of their owners. Owner of livestock who has a large number of cattle, will not prioritize the wellbeing of the cattle as it is down to business purpose. The animal right issues in Africa have grown bigger, unemployment and poverty are a core factor in addressing the issue of animal welfare, in determining welfare of animals in Africa, human’s welfare should be seriously taken into consideration, it is vague to talk about animal welfare in Africa where human welfare is in brim of disaster.
