Press Release
ARA RESPONSE TO RECENT STATEMENT BY DEPUTY POLICE MINISTER FIKILE MBALULA COMPARING ANIMALS TO CRIMINALS
25 August 2009
Animal Rights Africa (ARA), is grossly saddened at the recent comments made by Deputy Police Minister, Fikile Mbalula, at a meeting of Community Police Forum (CPF) members and police station heads from across the Western Cape to discuss concerns about crime.
Responding to Mbalula’s comments that criminals are “animals”, Animal Rights Africa (ARA) believes it is disturbing, irresponsible and grossly misleading for humans, and in particular those holding infuential positions in public office, to burden non-human animals with the worst behaviour of violent criminals. Moreover it bears testimony to a speciesist attitude towards animals that are not human and reflects a strong discriminatory, prejudice towards them.
Comments like those made by Mbalua unjustly criminalise animals and perpetuate the mindset that associates violence, materialism, greed and malice with animals, whereas nothing could be further from the truth. Non-human animals exhibit none of these traits. On the contrary, their behaviour is characterised by honesty, integrity, loyalty and many other positives that are exactly the values that all humans should strive to emulate.
The propensity for humans to associate negative, anti-social behavioiur with that of non-human animals is a throwback to the past when animals were wrongly and unfairly seen as violent brutes with no redeeming character traits. Modern understanding of animal behaviour, both wild and domestic, makes it inexcusable for anyone to demonise animals like this and in fact reinforces and institutionalises animal abuse. Criminals are simply just the worst kind of humans – nothing more, and nothing less!
Contact :
Steve Smit (Durban) 082 659 4711
Michele Pickover (Johannesburg) 082 253 2124
E.mail :
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