The article deconstructs the white sheep complex, a phenomenon where dominant social groups identify with animal suffering at the hands of marginalized people to cast themselves as victims. Using the 2018 Clifton Beach sheep slaughter as a focal point, the article explores how white South Africans historically weaponized animal rights discourse to protect segregated spaces and oppose social justice movements. This dynamic is rooted in Apartheid-era myths like the swart gevaar (Black Peril), which linked the presence of Black bodies to the existential destruction of white society. Ultimately, the article argues that animal advocacy must root out these racist undercurrents to create a truly inclusive movement that addresses the actual cruelties of the animal-industrial complex.
