Political cartoonist Zapiro’s latest annual collection, Pirates of Polokwane, will be launched in Johannesburg this evening.
Understandably, much has been made of the fact that the book contains THAT cartoon, which shows ANC president Jacob Zuma unbuckling his pants while members of the tripartite alliance hold down Lady Justice – the image that has caused the most controversy to date in Zapiro’s career, a career that had already seen more controversy than most!
Ahead of the launch, Jacana brings you a compilation of multimedia and links related to the book and cartoon. Put on your thicker skin, browse and enjoy!
Video: Zapiro on Pirates of Polokwane
Podcasts on THAT cartoon
Zapiro defends his position
Mondli Makhanya, editor of the Sunday Times, discusses the controversy
Prof Guy Berger of the School of Journalism & Media Studies at Rhodes University, discusses the cartoon
Media reaction to the cartoon
Anton Harber in the Guardian
The cartoon in question certainly pushed the boundaries of good taste and fair comment. It was crude and explicit, breathtakingly so. And therefore hard to defend.
It depicted South Africa’s presumptive next president, Jacob Zuma, unbuckling his trousers as he stands over the female figure of justice being held down by other leaders of the ruling party. “Go for it, boss,” one of them is saying to him.
Guy Berger on ThoughtLeader
The country’s visual conscience corrected his balance with his revised cartoon on Sunday that switched the Jacob Zuma rape of justice image, with members of the Thabo Mbeki camp. Both, according to his accompanying caption, are valid.
I analysed this development for the Daily Dispatch as regards his basic message. Which is: South Africa needs to mobilise public opinion for a credible and independent prosecution service and judiciary, and to see off threats from those who inclined to reject or exploit the system.
Mail & Guardian coverage
The press ombudsman’s Khanye Mndaweni said on Tuesday that although the office had received two calls about the matter on Monday, no formal complaint had been laid yet.
Zapiro — whose real name is Jonathan Shapiro — told the Mail & Guardian Online on Monday that “there are layers in this cartoon. The primary point is that Zuma is violating the justice system and the spirit of the Constitution. That violation is depicted as a rape.”
On Tuesday, he said he had thought “very, very carefully” before putting pen to paper, and that he had also asked female friends for their opinion.
Carlos Amato in the Sunday Times
Provocations such as Zapiro’s serve to unclot South Africa’s political bloodstream: since the freedom of speech serves to protect so many other freedoms, it must be rigorously tested, even sometimes abused, to keep democracy fit.
Zapiro’s “rape of justice” cartoon was unfair and unbalanced. But Zapiro is not in the business of fairness or balance. All political cartoonists worth the job description deal in grotesque distortion, hyperbole and specious argument.
And if they don’t occasionally breach accepted norms of taste and fairness, they’re slacking off.
Blog reactions
Book Details
Image courtesy the Sunday Times
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