Ġużeppi Muscat ‘Tal- Beżuża’, one of Malta’s last remaining herdsman, passes away

Ġużeppi Muscat ‘Tal- Beżuża’, one of Malta’s last herdsman, sadly passed away on Sunday.

Known for taking his herd of sheep to Dingli Cliffs to graze, Ġużeppi was an icon in the rural village.

Still working last week, he was among the islands’ last remaining traditional shepherds/

“This is my work but it’s also a passion. I come here every day to feed and milk the sheep and goats. I love these animals. Here, on the Dingli cliffs, it’s peaceful and quiet. I wouldn’t change this for anything else in the world. As a young boy, I was always running after my father while he tended to the animals. And then it was my turn,” he had said in an interview with website A Maltese Pantry in 2020.

He had explained how he would milk his goats every day.

“All of them recognize me. They aren’t scared when I approach them,” he had said, explaining his love for his trip.

Ġużeppi had also discussed what would happen to his beloved goats should he die.

“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.  My children won’t do this work because it’s not enough. When my father stopped working here, it was a harsh blow for him. He passed away four years after. Nowadays, I regret having told him to stop. I hope that my children won’t do the same. If I were born again, I would lead the same life. I wouldn’t change a thing,” he had said.

Deputy Prime Minister Ian Borg, who is from Dingli, also paid tribute to Muscat.

“Ħad-Dingli and the cliffs won’t be the same without you. Rest in peace my friend,” Borg said on Facebook.