Jacob Zuma’s Mshini!

Brett Murray’s satirical work of art depicting our President with ‘his’ business all but hanging out has the country locked in debate regarding Zuma’s penis. Yes you heard right. The latest top story in South Africa has nothing to do with policy rather how well-endowed the president is or isn’t!

The African National Congress through its ever zealous spokesperson Jackson Mthembu has condemned the Goodman Gallery for violating the president’s privacy and stripping him of his dignity for hanging that work of art with all his junk out. According to Mthembu “Its distasteful and portraying South Africa in a bad light as Zuma is the head of the state.”

So much so that the ruling party is planning to apply for an urgent interdict to compel the gallery to remove the provocative art work. This has divided the people into campus with the ANC and its supporters calling for Murray’s blood while some think it’s a humorous piece of art that the party is blowing out of proportion.

Now I believe that it’s always a good thing when a developing nation like ours in engaged in debate as it challenges us to think and develop our knowledge when it comes to the matters that affect our country.

The problem I have with this debate in that the issues we seem to be so interested in are the ones that require less of our attention and time. If trade union Cosatu is not throwing tantrums (literally) at the opposition DA for toyi toying, everyone is discussing how big the President is below the belt. Is this commotion about one man’s penis so necessary even though every second person on earth has one? Why does the ruling party allow itself to be dragged into pointless and immature discussions?

South Africa is faced with a conundrum of when it comes to the state of our education system and not to mention the levels of unemployment. Electricity is something of a pipe dream to some people, water is scarce at the rural areas with food and fuel prices taking their toll on motorists and ordinary civilians.

These issues are what warrant not only warrant a high level of attention from our government but are a ticking time bomb if not resolved soon. But in all my existence I have never seen them being made a priority as the issue of the painting is being made into.

Being in the public eye in any democratic country at least means that you will be subject to scrutiny and satirical artists such as Brett Murray will use you as means of humour. Jonathan Zapiro is one of the most (in) famous cartoonists in South Africa. His work has included the likes of Mandela, Zille, Tutu and Zuma in the most unflattering way sometimes but none of them has made a fuss about it but Zuma and the ANC.

Is there ruling party becoming intolerant of what is meant to be funny and satirical? Or are artists like Zapiro and Murray simply picking on our President? Why are the ANC so easily offended by anything by this work of art?

A while back US president Barack Obama was seen in pictures circulating in the media and internet kissing European world leaders with tongue and all. Yes it was the work of some cartoonist or gallery(I stand corrected) but it got people all over the world talking. In a few days everyone news outlet that ran the story had already forgotten about it. You know why?

Obama and most of the leaders that were shown embracing in those pictures did not let themselves be drawn into some dialogue with those responsible. Sure they might not have liked it but instead of attacking the artist(s) they simply kept quiet and let it die down. Being drawn into a discussion with the artist would have caused unnecessary commotion like the ANC has managed to do with ones man’s portrayal of our president.

As I write this piece an urgent court interdict is being filed at some high court in Johannesburg to have the painting removed? Is all this necessary? Who will be footing the bill if this is prolonged into a court case? Is there ruling party justified in its reaction or are they overreacting to what is supposed to be a funny piece?

All I know I know is that if we devoted as much time and energy to the real problems that the country is facing as we are to this thing, al lot would be solved! The ANC is not the only organisation that is to blame when it comes to blowing things out of proportion.

If the media houses did not feel compelled to report to every action and reaction when it comes to matters like these, it would just die down! Yes the media has a duty to report on what our leaders are busy bickering about but is Jacob Zuma’s penis all that interesting that the country is faced with real problems such as crime, poverty and unemployment.

Everybody has an opinion and freedom of speech means that people are allowed to express it as long as they don’t infringe on other people’s rights. Just like the President and the ruling party welcome praise when it’s due, they should also acknowledge criticism and satirical work as exactly what they are.

So what if someone drew that president with his junk? Get over it people, every men on earth has a penis. President must just be proud of his business and attend to matters that really require his attention. The ANC must just sit down and relax, it’s not even their junk hanging out!

United? Or Just Plain Ignorant?

Tense race relations in South Africa, is almost a sure thing as paying taxes. Yes we have a sombre past when it comes to various racial backgrounds and it tends to creep out to the surface (social networks, politicians and gyms) these days.

Virgin Active has had its own fair share of scandals regarding racial spats, FHM model Jessica Leandra recently caused a commotion when she refered to someone by the K-word in her tweet and the other day I was sent a Facebook link about a white varsity student venting as how black people are lazy and will not get anywhere with that attitude in life.

This got my ever curious mind racing! Are whites secretly racist towards blacks? Are blacks resentful towards the white folk because of Apartheid regime? Or are we as the 21 Century generation trying so hard to present a united front that we sweeping racial incidents under the carpet in the name of a united nation?

These are questions that need to be answered individually as well as collectively. Julius Malema (when he was still relevant) often used to say he didn’t despise white people, he just wanted them to distribute the wealth they amassed on the other racial groups expense. Desmond Tutu even climbed on the same bandwagon and urged the white population to do more to empower non-whites who suffer daily largely because of being denied opportunities by the capitulated regime.

A while back my cousin and I got into a heated debate about outspoken DA leader Helen Zille’s remark that some Eastern Cape people were academic refugees in the Western Cape because of the dire education circumstances the former is embattled with. Suffice to say my cousin wanted to rip Madam Premier’s head off for labelling ‘black’ people as refugees.

When I commented on her post that I happen to agree to the statement to an extent, she thought my being based in Cape Town was corrupting me. When I asked her if it is Zilles’s statement that angered her or the fact that a white person said it she relented that it was both.

It’s a common fact that most black students, who come to varsity in the Western Cape, want better standards than the EC is able to provide. Was Zille wrong in pointing this out or is it downright callous of her?  If a black politician had said that? Would it have garnered the same condemnation as madam Premier did?

Racism is something that needs to be discussed openly and condemned fiercely in our adolescent democracy. I was quite impressed by the lashing miss model Jessica received on social networks following her ill-fated utterance by calling someone a k*ffir. Radio personalities, politicians and ordinary tweeting South Africans immediately called her out. Her week later (I stand corrected) apology rebuffed because many believe that she wasn’t being sincere.

Is this incident simply to be dismissed as just another ignorant racist bigot or are there deep fundamental issues we still need to attend to as a nation when it comes to race. I have friends who say Nelson Mandela was quick to offer an olive branch to white people following his election to the highest public office in the land. Some on the other side maintain that if he hadn’t, the country would have been plunged into a civil war which would have been disastrous for then vulnerable state.

18 years since the birth of our democracy, racial prejudice, stereotypes and discrimination are still prevalent in our 50 million inhabited country. Was reconciliation rushed in order to dismantle the oppressive regime? Are these the ramifications of a past that was not dealt with swiftly and delicately?

We as the Facebook generation are quick to dismiss things as primitive, irrelevant or buried in the past. Tradition and our western ways continually clash but we attribute it to the new South Africa. We document everything, rushing everywhere and constantly connected to the net. Perhaps we have rushed to embrace reconciliation rather than addressing the problems among racial divides.

To what extent is criticism by anyone of any colour fair or discriminatory? Are black people way to sensitive when it comes to dealing white people criticising them? Or are the white callous when it comes to acknowledging the extent of the damage the apartheid government inflicted on their oppressors. Was Silklour justified in his controversial BlacksRFools song or is he another democracy kid with no idea of what he is talking about?

All I know is South Africans need to deal with their racial divides in order to move forward. How we do that is the million dollar question!