Ġużu Tal-Beżuża, One Of Malta’s Last Herdsmen, Dies
Ġużeppi Muscat, one of Malta’s last traditional herdsmen, has passed away.
Known as Ġużu tal-Beżuża, Ġużeppi was known for taking his sheep and goats out grazing on the Dingli Cliffs and making fresh cheeselets from their milk. Hailing from a family of herdsmen, he has been involved in the trade since childhood.
In 2020, a then 77-year-old Ġużu gave an interview to A Maltese Pantry and The People of Malta, where he said he wouldn’t change his job for anything in the world.
“You’ll see me here by 6.30am, come rain or shine…even when it’s raining heavily,” he said.
“I spend about an hour and a half here…working non-stop. Then I go home, have a cup of coffee and a toast and come back here to milk the animals.”
“They provide milk all year round. In the evening, I come here again to feed the animals. Even when you’re not feeling well, you still have to show up. I wonder what would happen if I had to go to hospital? That’s the only thing that worries me.”
“What will happen once I’m gone? Well, there’s nobody left. And if today was my last day on Earth, they would sell them straight away, even before they bury me.”
Ġużu also helped found the Sheep and Goats Exhibition in Dingli, which later became the Wirja Agrarja.
Among the people who paid tribute to Ġużu were Foreign Affairs Minister Ian Borg, a former mayor of Dingli.
“Ħad-Dingli and its cliffs won’t be the same without you. Rest in peace, my friend,” he said.
He will be given a final farewell on Wednesday at Dingli’s Parish Church at 3pm.
Cover photo: TVM
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