A week after first
making headlines, “The Spear” continues to be the most debated topic in South
Africa. From newspapers to radio stations, from small talk with the hairdressers
to dinner conversations - the Nation is discussing the controversial painting of
President Jacob Zuma and his - nowadays less - private parts.
Discussions continue
even though the painting has recently been “modified” and the “offensive” parts
have been “skilfully” hidden: two activists have turned “The Spear” into “The
Smear” by painting over J Z’s face and “friend”. One man reportedly spent R180 (€18)
on spray paint to restore the dignity of the President. This may not seem like
a lot, but in South Africa 48% of people only earn R350 a month and hence
spending more than half of your (possibly even your family’s) monthly income
shows just how strongly the man must have felt about the painting.
Most people have
turned to less visible, but equally drastic ways of expressing their opinion
about the painting.
Enoch Mthembu,
the spokesman for the Nazareth Baptist Church which has over 6million followers
in South Africa, said that:
“This man [Murray, the artist] insulted the entire
nation and deserves to be stoned to death.”
The church has
since then distanced itself from the “former” spokesman (and of course “only on
certain matters for a very limited time”) and condemned Mthembu’s call. A High
Court ordered Mthembu to retract the statement within five days, but the Man of
Faith has publicly declared that he has no intention of apologising to a “drama
queen, who created a controversy to make him more famous and make him more
money."
A political analyst
and art lover commented, slightly less drastic and more sophisticated:
“Murray
has simply given an artistic expression to angry and legitimate criticism also expressed
by Cosatu’s Zwelinzima Vavi, a close Zuma ally, who recently said:
“We’re headed for a predator state where a powerful,
corrupt and demagogic elite of political hyenas are increasingly using the
state to get rich. Just like a hyena whose daughters eat first, so in a
predator state, the chief of state’s family eat first.”
Imagine
the outcry if an artist had to portray Zuma and his family as a bunch of
hyenas, and yet, this is exactly what an alliance partner of the ANC and the
president has said!“
Many South
Africans consider the issue to be a racial one in which black culture is being
undermined by a white artist. As revenge, a photoshopped picture of Helen
Zille, the leader of South Africa’s biggest opposition party, in which she is
posing naked, was published on the internet. Helen Zille took it more lightly than
Zuma, saying:
“Now you can see why I try to cycle vigorously for an
hour every day. I obviously need more than Botox.”
The man in the
painting, on the other hand, has shown less sense of humour and could not laugh
it off. Instead, JZ decided to sue the artist because the painting “violates his
right to dignity and makes a mockery of his office”. Zuma states in a legal
affidavit that:
“The portrait depicts me in a manner that suggests
that I am a philanderer, a womaniser and one with no respect. It conveys a
message that I am an abuser of power, corrupt and suffer political
ineptness."
Zuma’s
application is supported by the ANC and his daughter Duduzile Zuma, who
declared in an affidavit:
Zuma's court case against
Murray and “The Spear” is supported by many South African’s – politicians,
including the Ministers of Justice and Arts & Culture, Trade Unions Bosses and
the man on the street.
At their annual
meeting, the President of the National Union of Mineworkers raised the issue of the painting
in his opening address, declaring it an example of racism and calling upon his
union members to protest against it by marching to the gallery – naked!
Standing behind
its leader, the ANC Women’s League has decided to join the march to the Gallery
to “defend the President and the ANC”. So far, they have given no indications
for a dress code...
The latest in
this story turned soap opera, which has made headlines from Australia, to
Canada and from Norway to Bolivia, comes from the court room.
After an intense
exchange with the judge about South Africa’s transition to democracy, Zuma’s Chief
Advocate Gcina Malindi was “overcome with emotion” and, putting his hands on
his chest, burst into tears and broke down.
A camera team,
which had been granted permission to film the court proceedings, decided not to
broadcast the breakdown of the Advocate. This attempt to comply with strict
broadcasting rules in courts has now caused fury among the ANC leadership who are
“appalled and disappointed” about this censorship.
"E-TV censored the visuals that would have shown
his deep pain and emotion, that expressed the culmination of the sentiment of
humiliation and denigration of the dignity of President Jacob Zuma, his office
and the African culture that is shared by millions of South Africans."
And the saga
continues...
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