Cinematic Canines: Dogs and Their Work in the Fiction Film

Chapter 7: Bullies and Curs: Overlords and Underdogs in South African Cinema

158 7 Bullies and Curs Overlords and Underdogs in South African Cinema GIULIANA LUND I would like us to reaffirm our common commitment to a new and better society. A resolution can be taken that the dog, so long denigrated, so long a symbol of abuse, should become a national symbol for the humanity of South Africans. —Ndebele 2007, 4 Inhis2006proclamation“TheYearoftheDog,”prominentintellectualNjabulo Ndebele challenged South Africans to reevaluate their treatment of dogs and, by extension, each other. Canines have been subjected to exploitation and violence throughout the turbulent history of the region, from centuries of colonization and decades of apartheid to the long-awaited democracy that arrived in 1994. Furthermore, this pervasive mistreatment of canines has been used to legitimize violence against human underdogs. As Ndebele attests, “the word ‘dog’ is never far away in the imagining of violence and abuse in our society. You can see how often we have treated people and things as if they were ‘just a dog.’ . . . ‘Dog’ is a pervasive metaphor regularly used to justify righteous brutality” (2). Bullies and Curs • 159 Under the colonial and apartheid regimes, Africans were frequently exploited, abused, excluded, neglected, and left homeless “like dogs” (2). During the state of emergency brought on by the popular revolt against apartheid, both African nationalists and state collaborators were slain “like dogs” in the street (2). Even today, in post-apartheid South Africa, political opponents have been publicly denounced as “dogs to be beaten” (1). A functional democracy, Ndebele asserts, requires a more humane attitude toward others, be they two-legged or fourlegged . Though animal protection movements in South Africa have long been a niche concern of the privileged classes, Ndebele recognizes that animal welfare and human welfare are intimately interconnected and need to be tackled together. Moreover, he is not alone in linking the treatment of actual and figurative dogs in his country. This pattern of abuse has become a significant focus of post-apartheid South African cinema, which increasingly features canines as a vehicle for social commentary to address the nation’s persistent struggle with violence and the prospects for reconciliation and rehabilitation. Before exploring the real and metaphoric use of canines in South African cinema, it is important to consider the roles dogs have played in the cultural, economic, and political development of the nation. As Lance Van Sittert and Sandra Swart (2003) recount in their history of dogs in South Africa, the archaeological record reveals that canines have lived alongside humans in the region for thousands of years (140–143). European colonists who arrived at theCapeofGoodHopefromtheseventeenthcenturyonwarddubbedtheindigenous canines “kaffir dogs” and considered them inferior to European dogs and a health threat (McKenzie 2003). In their stead the settlers imported guard and hunting dogs whose feats were celebrated, even as their competitors, the African dogs, were denigrated and at times outlawed so as to protect colonial livestock and preserve big game hunting for Europeans (Tropp 2002). The preference for imported dogs was solidified in the nineteenth century as imperial obsessions with race and eugenics led to the invention and promotion of the “pure bred dog” (Swart 2003). Consequently, the South African Kennel Club was founded in 1883 to protect European bloodlines. During the twentieth century the rise of settler nationalism led to the endorsement and popularization of new southern African breeds such as the Rhodesian Ridgeback and the Boerboel (the “dog of the Boers”). While these hardy, powerful breeds were created from a mixture of mastiff, hound, and indigenous ancestors, their white proponents emphasized their proud classical origins (Van Sittert and Swart 2003, 150–152). Throughout the colonial period, these and other bully breeds were employed to protect white settlers and their property from the African wildlife and peoples. Theemploymentofbulliesinsupportofcolonialdominationoflocalpopulations became increasingly official over the course of the twentieth century. From 1909 the Natal police used dogs for rural patrols, for tracking, and for identifying criminals (Van Sittert and Swart 2003, 163). Beginning in 1962, a year after South African independence, canines were utilized in urban settings to control 160 • Cinematic Canines rebellion (163). The quantity of canines involved in policing increased dramatically through the 1980s, “in direct relation to the escalation of black rebellion against the apartheid state” (163–164). Additionally, canine units assisted the military in locating nationalist insurgents throughout war-torn southern Africa (164). The use of dogs as instruments of surveillance and discipline likewise expanded in the private sector: Dogs were also widely...