World Cup Sacrifice

A group organizing cultural events for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa wants to bless the tournament through ritual animal sacrifice. Zolani Mkiva, chairman of the Makhonya Royal Trust, says the potential animal sacrifice is meant to preserve African culture and ensure that everything goes well. Grahame L. Jones of the Los Angeles Times opposes this reasoning, saying there are many ways to celebrate South Africa’s culture without performing this act. The proposed ritual, which involves killing 10 cows to bless each of the 10 stadiums used in the international soccer competition, has not yet been approved or rejected by the World Cup Local Organizing Committee.