New Zuma drawing row

Cape Town, 15.12.2006. Jonathan Shapiro in his studio in Orenjezicht where as Zapiro he creates his cartoons. Picture Rogan Ward.

Cape Town, 15.12.2006. Jonathan Shapiro in his studio in Orenjezicht where as Zapiro he creates his cartoons. Picture Rogan Ward.

Published Jul 7, 2012

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Another storm of anger has errupted over a provocative depiction of President Jacob Zuma.

This time the president is portrayed by award-winning cartoonist Zapiro as a penis.

A day after the government’s “social cohesion summit” – announced by Zuma in the wake of controversy over the Brett Murray portrait of him with an exposed penis – the ANC again went on the offensive, demanding an apology from Zapiro and the Mail & Guardian newspaper for the cartoon and its accompanying comments.

It called the work, published yesterday, offensive, demeaning and insulting to Zuma, his family and the ANC.

But Mail & Guardian editor Nic Dawes has strongly defended publication of the cartoon, saying he would be willing to defend it in court.

The cartoon features an image of a penis with legs and Zuma’s head, sporting Zapiro’s trademark showerhead. Zuma is drawn looking into a mirror in the Goodman Gallery – where The Spear painting was exhibited.

The heading of the cartoon reads “The Spear to be raised at Social Cohesion Summit”, in reference to the Department of Arts and Culture’s two-day event in Kliptown, Soweto, this week.

To the left of the drawing of Zuma is a rude limerick.

 

Jonathan Shapiro, the cartoonist, is abroad. He said in a statement yesterday that ANC spokespeople who believed the cartoon should be ignored should feel free to ignore it.

Shapiro said he was sceptical about the social cohesion summit which was an attempt to encourage conformity rather than real diversity of views.

“Dissident views are essential for real change. Irreverence towards leaders who take themselves too seriously is a vital part of democracy.”

ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe accused Shapiro of seeking attention “like a neglected child”, while the ANC Women’s League condemned the cartoon as “disgusting and completely distasteful”.

Dawes said: “Zapiro has a wide degree of latitude to express himself in the Mail & Guardian and it would take a heck of a lot for me to stop him from doing that. I certainly defend his right to engage in the conversation in ways that are sometimes controversial.

“My own understanding of the cartoon is that Zapiro remains very concerned about the way The Spear debate played out and, in the context of discussions around social cohesion, I think he is concerned that the talks will be used as an excuse to suppress awkward, uncomfortable voices…”

Dawes said both he and Zapiro had known that the cartoon would provoke a strong reaction.

“But I understood broadly what he was trying to say about the social cohesion summit and the way The Spear saga played out… I felt that this wasn’t a cartoon by Zapiro that I was going to stop.”

Weekend Argus

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