News / Africa
Calls to deport the security guard who attacked a black man for defacing Zuma Spear portrait
23 May 2012 at 06:45hrs | Views
ANC activists have called for the security guard who manhandled the black man who defaced the Zuma portrait to be deported from South Africa.
Most ANC activist have a feeling that the security guard might be Zimbabwean considering his Eloquence in his English language. The ANC has since condemned the overzealous behaviour of the security guard.
Some feel that these are issues that motivates for xenophobic attacks.
"That security guard is not South African, considering his good command of the queen's language, that's call centre English and if any South African is that good in English, they rather work as a call centre agent and not as a security guard," said one activist.
The ANC said that while it could not condone any action which was not legal, it equally did not condone the assault of a suspect who was black.
"It is very contrasting and concerning that another suspect, who happens to be a white South African, was not assaulted but was treated with dignity as he was arrested," the party said in a statement.
"Perhaps it is this type of behaviour on the part of Goodman Gallery and its security that might need to be further explained."
The party said the indecency, disrespect and indignity characteristic of the painting had the potential to reverse the healing of wounds inflicted by apartheid and colonialism.
Three people were being held on Tuesday for alleged offences relating to the painting.
Two of them allegedly defaced the picture with red and black paint, obscuring the face and waist of the figure.
A third was arrested for apparently trying to spray the word "respect" on a wall of the Goodman Gallery.
Colonel Vishnu Naidoo confirmed the arrests.
Footage, which has been flighted on e-tv, shows a man white man painting a red cross 'X' over the depiction of Zuma's prominently displayed genitals and then another over his face. It also shows a black man identified as Louis Mavokele smearing black ink on the potrait.
After the incident the white man was called politely aside by the security guards ... but Mavokele was not that lucky.
A guard wearing a bullet-proof vest charged at Mavokele and asked him what he thought he was doing.
An argument ensued between the two. Another gallery employee joined the fray.
e-News news anchor Imna Rappetti, who was on the scene, walked up to the guard and pointed at the white man, asking why he was not attacking him too. The guard ignored her and instead continued manhandling Mavokele.
He was choked and head-butted by the security guard. Later there was a showdown with wrestling similar to e.tv's WWE.
Mavokele was lifted up like a bag of potatoes and thrown on to the cold floor of the gallery in front of flashing cameras and reporters.
The guard asked: "What the hell do you think you are doing? How can you come here and damage things, you have no manners".
The white man was later gently handcuffed, and both men were taken to the Rosebank police station, where they were charged with malicious damage to property.
Most ANC activist have a feeling that the security guard might be Zimbabwean considering his Eloquence in his English language. The ANC has since condemned the overzealous behaviour of the security guard.
Some feel that these are issues that motivates for xenophobic attacks.
"That security guard is not South African, considering his good command of the queen's language, that's call centre English and if any South African is that good in English, they rather work as a call centre agent and not as a security guard," said one activist.
The ANC said that while it could not condone any action which was not legal, it equally did not condone the assault of a suspect who was black.
"It is very contrasting and concerning that another suspect, who happens to be a white South African, was not assaulted but was treated with dignity as he was arrested," the party said in a statement.
"Perhaps it is this type of behaviour on the part of Goodman Gallery and its security that might need to be further explained."
The party said the indecency, disrespect and indignity characteristic of the painting had the potential to reverse the healing of wounds inflicted by apartheid and colonialism.
Three people were being held on Tuesday for alleged offences relating to the painting.
Two of them allegedly defaced the picture with red and black paint, obscuring the face and waist of the figure.
A third was arrested for apparently trying to spray the word "respect" on a wall of the Goodman Gallery.
Colonel Vishnu Naidoo confirmed the arrests.
Footage, which has been flighted on e-tv, shows a man white man painting a red cross 'X' over the depiction of Zuma's prominently displayed genitals and then another over his face. It also shows a black man identified as Louis Mavokele smearing black ink on the potrait.
After the incident the white man was called politely aside by the security guards ... but Mavokele was not that lucky.
A guard wearing a bullet-proof vest charged at Mavokele and asked him what he thought he was doing.
An argument ensued between the two. Another gallery employee joined the fray.
e-News news anchor Imna Rappetti, who was on the scene, walked up to the guard and pointed at the white man, asking why he was not attacking him too. The guard ignored her and instead continued manhandling Mavokele.
He was choked and head-butted by the security guard. Later there was a showdown with wrestling similar to e.tv's WWE.
Mavokele was lifted up like a bag of potatoes and thrown on to the cold floor of the gallery in front of flashing cameras and reporters.
The guard asked: "What the hell do you think you are doing? How can you come here and damage things, you have no manners".
The white man was later gently handcuffed, and both men were taken to the Rosebank police station, where they were charged with malicious damage to property.
Source - news
