It’s not meat that makes a man

Our meat-crazy culture becomes a minefield of misunderstanding for any vegan who dares to shun a braai, writes Setumo-Thebe Mohlomi

30 August 2020 - 00:00 By Setumo-Thebe Mohlomi

In SA, in my world, a plate generously embellished with meat is often seen as a form of culinary privilege, a signifier of being higher in the pecking order. When, as a black man who for various reasons has decided not to eat meat, you are presented with such a plate (worse if it’s brought to you on a tray), declining is no easy task. I have felt my eyeballs swell the way a cow’s do at the slaughterhouse, so dreadful is the prospect of having to explain, publicly, my decision and its ramifications for my manhood. ..

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