VIDEO: Pantsula Boys dance to save the rhino

Five young boys are dancing to save rhinos. The Vaal Important Pantsula Boys, a dance group formed by five boys from Sebokeng, performed at the Newton Junction on 01 August to raise awareness about the impact of rhino poaching.

Dancer Thomas Motsapi said that they want to show people that it’s wrong to kill rhinos as they are the pride and symbol of Africa. “Here in Africa, our animals are our pride and we are against animal cruelty and wish that hunting wild animals could be banned,” he said.

Motsapi added that they were saddened by the recent killing of the famous Zimbabwean lion, Cecil the Lion, who was shot and killed by American dentist Walter Palmer. “Animals like lions and the rhino are part of our culture and we hope to drive the message home, that we must take care of our animals,’ he said.

The Vaal Important Pantsula Boys recently came back from a tour in Finland where they performed at the World Gymnaestrada where they danced their unique rhino dance, which emulates the killing of rhinos.

The boys’ mentor Maureen van Rooyen said that at the World Gymnaestrada, they played a video that showed what rhino poaching was about to create an impact of the dance and its message. She pointed out that the rhino was not the only animal that is endangered by poaching and illegal hunting, but they were currently only focusing on the rhino.

“It’s our heritage and rhino poaching is absolute cruelty for absolutely nothing,’ she said. She added that a trophy is a sports trophy and not the head of an animal.