"Johannesburg - Another painting of President Jacob Zuma with his private parts exposed went on display at the AVA Gallery in Cape Town on Monday night, according to a report.
According to The Cape
Times, artist Ayanda Mabulu's painting of Zuma wearing
traditional attire and his penis exposed, entitled Umshini Wam[weapon
of mass destruction, according to the artist's description] is part of an
exhibition - Our Fathers.
The exhibition
also has works from artist Brett
Murray whose controversial painting, The Spear,
resulted in protests against Johannesburg's Goodman Gallery in May.
The Spear,
which also depicted Zuma with his genitals exposed, was later removed by the
Goodman Gallery and the City Press website. The artwork was also classified
with a rating of "16N" by the Film and Publication Board because it
displays nudity.
Mabulu's painting is priced at R75 000.
"He is not naked; I did not paint him with
an uncircumcised penis. This is a metaphor that shows he is not a boy; he is a
man, an elder, a father, a leader," Mabulu was quoted as saying.
"In this painting I'm engaging my elder in
the language of my mother-tongue, the language that carries the culture of my
people, the language he understands the most.
"Through this painting, I respectfully, as
one of his children, ask my father why he is starving us. Why he is negating
his duties to his children, the citizens of South Africa."
- SAPA
As a citizen born 55 years ago in South Africa, it is hard not to make comparisons of the influences on life as we grow up.
This article raises the issues which headlined in our press a few months ago when our President Jacob Zuma and his advisors saw fit to sue an artist and the gallery displaying the artists painting because of what it depicted. This was the full might of the ruling ANC party and therefore the government coming down on an individual artist. Despite heavy criticism of the leadership, the case was pursued until the painting was defaced, people arrested & jailed & an inevitable bowing to the pressure of officialdom. Was this wise? One felt at the time, that this wasn't the best way to handle this. A public figure is just that, a public figure. It becomes the property of the people, particularly if this is a public servant.
Now the implications of the past actions will come to the fore. It is an unavoidable fact of life in South Africa, that race will be a factor of every decision made. It is noted that the law was brought in to address the past issue on an artist by the name of Brett Murray. One has to assume that he is Caucasian (White). The new painting is done by an artist called Ayanda Mabulu. This is a typically Zulu name (Black).
It doesn't take a lot of brain power to see that the press will be watching eagle-eyed, to see how Ayanda Mabulu and his painting will be dealt with by the authorities. The ruling party have put themselves in a catch 22 situation (they can't win). If they treat this artist more leniently, the question of whether it is because he is black that they decided to not prosecute. If they do, the press will once again question the repression of artistic licence & freedom.
Prezzy Zuma is having a hard year!!
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