News / Africa
SA government 'disgusted' at Zuma penis cartoon
06 Jul 2012 at 17:21hrs | Views
South Africa's governing ANC has expressed its "disgust" at a cartoon of President Jacob Zuma as a penis. The ANC led government has also called for the urgent removal of the latest
Zapiro cartoon on President Jacob Zuma in the Mail & Guardian on
Friday.
"Government calls on Jonathan Shapiro [Zapiro] to withdraw his cartoon, and urges the Mail & Guardian to remove it from its website," government spokesperson Jimmy Manyi said in a statement.
The cartoon, by prominent artist Jonathan Shapiro, known as Zapiro, also features a poem, which refers to Mr Zuma as a "dick".
The latest row comes just weeks after the ANC forced an art gallery to withdraw a painting showing Mr Zuma with his genitals exposed.
Mr Zuma is set to face Zapiro in court in October over a different cartoon.
The president sued the cartoonist, who works for the Mail & Guardian newspaper, after he depicted Mr Zuma in 2008 about to rape a female figure representing justice. Mr Zuma was cleared of raping a family friend in 2006.
The pair have also clashed over Zapiro's portrayal of Mr Zuma with a shower cap on his head - a reference to Mr Zuma's statement in the rape trial that he had taken a shower after having sex to reduce the chance of contracting HIV.
"We find it unacceptable and shocking that after the harsh experiences that South Africa, the president and his family has experienced few weeks ago, that Zapiro and the Mail & Guardian will find it appropriate to continue with the insults and hurt to the president, his family and the broader ANC constituency," the ANC said in a statement.
"All South Africans share our disgust."
- View the cartoon on M&G's website.
"Government calls on Jonathan Shapiro [Zapiro] to withdraw his cartoon, and urges the Mail & Guardian to remove it from its website," government spokesperson Jimmy Manyi said in a statement.
The cartoon, by prominent artist Jonathan Shapiro, known as Zapiro, also features a poem, which refers to Mr Zuma as a "dick".
The latest row comes just weeks after the ANC forced an art gallery to withdraw a painting showing Mr Zuma with his genitals exposed.
Mr Zuma is set to face Zapiro in court in October over a different cartoon.
The president sued the cartoonist, who works for the Mail & Guardian newspaper, after he depicted Mr Zuma in 2008 about to rape a female figure representing justice. Mr Zuma was cleared of raping a family friend in 2006.
The pair have also clashed over Zapiro's portrayal of Mr Zuma with a shower cap on his head - a reference to Mr Zuma's statement in the rape trial that he had taken a shower after having sex to reduce the chance of contracting HIV.
"We find it unacceptable and shocking that after the harsh experiences that South Africa, the president and his family has experienced few weeks ago, that Zapiro and the Mail & Guardian will find it appropriate to continue with the insults and hurt to the president, his family and the broader ANC constituency," the ANC said in a statement.
"All South Africans share our disgust."
- View the cartoon on M&G's website.
Source - BBC
