The Dark Side of Entertainment The fundamental flaws of McLaren Circus

Danielle Yeatman and Ashleigh Pascoe

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, gather around for the crack of the whip against Nala the lion’s back. McLaren Circus, the only circus in South Africa that still uses animals for entertainment, paid its unwelcome visit to Pretoria.

The McLaren Circus opened its doors on 24 March 2005 and is still a disappointing reminder of the lack of animal rights within South Africa’s entertainment scene. Ban Animal Trading (BAT), a South African non-profit organisation, has memorised all the ways in which to oppose such cruelty, and has set up signposts to guide others. Concurrently, the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals continues to use the limited legal and financial resources available to expose the cruel organisation that is the McLaren Circus.

20 August marked another day of protests for BAT as McLaren Circus set up in Montana Park. It is the closest the circus has ever been to Hatfield, and thus warranted a visit. The protest was led by animal rights activist Herman H Le Roux, a celebrity within the circus. McLaren Circus staff pointed and chanted, “We know who you are, Herman”, before their repetitive performance of shouting and swearing commenced. However, upon realising that their vulgar words did little more than bounce off Le Roux’s unyielding stance, two staff members proceeded to urinate in front of him. McLaren also provided various antidotes to ensure a lack of care about the animals’ well-being, with their “vigilant” security parading guns to ensure a constant state of cognitive dissonance. However, no matter what McLaren does, Le Roux’s voice will not be silenced. When asked what message Le Roux would like to convey, his words echoed through the cages and tents - “in 1994, South Africa was liberated for all its people, but it was not liberated for animals.”

South Africa’s legislative landscape provides limited protection for the interest of animals to a distressing point.

Francois van Coke & Vriende set fire to Sun Arena

Megan Theunissen

When Francois van Coke, the lead singer of Fokofpolisiekar, collaborates with artists like Tasché, Jack Parrow, Elandré, Van Pletzen, and many more, passion sparks into an inferno of record-breaking entertainment within the Afrikaans music industry.

The Animal Protection Act 71 of 1962 (APA) remains South Africa’s primary source of legislation regarding the protection of animals, and although it has been amended the latest amendment regarding the content of APA dates back to 1993. Thus, South Africa’s animal welfare legislation has barely been revised since South Africa was in its pre-democratic state, more than 28 years ago. Section 2 of APA boasts clichéd attempts at protecting animal welfare and states that persons inflicting “unnecessary suffering” on animals through methods such as “cruelly torturing” could risk a whopping fine of R200. With such regulations in place, it is not surprising that McLaren continues to operate with minimal repercussions.

On 28 March, the Cape of Good Hope’s SPCA conducted a routine inspection regarding the welfare of the McLaren Circus animals and reported six contraventions of the APA. The SPCA reported an isolated lioness confined to an inadequate compartment with no accessible drinking water. Furthermore, it reported signs of distress shown by the various animals due to the lack of environmental enrichment, unhygienic cages, and an overall fly problem - all of which poses health risks.

The circus has most recently visited Benoni, and despite an abysmal turnout, it seeems that the circus has still not rectified any of these contraventions. Animals are still confined in spaces far too small for comfort, and there is still minimal upkeep being performed on the actual property of the circus. The presentation of this institution indicates more about their treatment of animals than meets the eye.

More information regarding the movements of the circus can be found at @bananimaltrading, and the most effective way to prevent this type of entertainment exploitation is to boycott such behaviour and encourage others to do the same. Skip the treadmill and walk with a poster instead. Take protest photos for Tinder; activism is hot. Go to Ban Animal Trading’s website to find a date for a protest near you. Participating in a protest entails showing up at the given time, holding posters provided by BAT, and getting rowdy.

After two years of suppressed showmanship due to COVID-19, Francois van Coke & Vriende delivered a fiery performance with songs old (‘old’ being synonymous with legendary), new and oh-so-taboo. The performances of “Early B”, “Spoegwolf” and “Die Heuwels Fantasties” came bursting into the SunBet Arena at Time Square on 25 September, closing out Heritage Week’s weekend festivities. About 8500 tickets sold rapidly after the opening of their sales. Following the social media announcement of all the performing artists, the desire to attend became all the more irresistible. Half the audience stood at the foot of the stage, whilst the other half clambered into their tightly arranged seats. A little after 18:00, the arena was brimming with a sea of eager faces ready to feast their eyes on the musicians that promised to entertain.

With Van Coke having released his latest solo album, Kanniedood, two days prior, the performance felt fresh and unexpected in its debut with new artists, new songs and plenty of new collaborations. When opening with an innovative and rock-n-roll song, “SOS”, the stage was set alight. Songs that stood out – as always – were “Dagdrome in Suburbia” (featuring Spoegwolf), “Komma” (a heartfelt favourite) and the very convincing “Ek lewe ek belowe” (featuring Die Heuwels Fantasties).

However, a few new songs that might join the legacy soon are (the aforementioned) “SOS”, “Hartseer Freaks”, “Nie Alleen Nie”, and “Rus in Vrede”. These new songs flooded social media during (and after) the concert and are currently climbing the charts on local music streaming platforms. “Kanniedood” is on its way to outrank van Coke’s previous albums and claim first place in the hearts of every South African.

Cartoon: UP’s Inferno