President’s privates expose uncomfortable issues for ANC

When a nude painting of Canada’s Prime Minster was displayed in a public library, he and the rest of Canada laughed it off. The same cannot be said for South Africa.

Sunday Times cartoon by Zapiro

Brett Murray’s painting of President Jacob Zuma with his genitals exposed, has upset the ANC and has divided public opinion in the country. Taken aback by what they saw as a  ”distasteful and vulgar” work of art, representatives of the ANC asked the gallery to remove the painting from the exhibition, their website, and all other promotional materials on the grounds that it insulted the dignity of the presidency. President Jacob Zuma himself says he was “shocked, and felt personally ­offended and violated” when he saw a copy of the painting for the first time.  He says the painting depicts him as “a philanderer, a womaniser and one with no ­respect”.  Personally, I think the president’s self-description fits perfectly.

The Sunday Zapiro cartoon shows Zuma with a shower-head in place of his genitals, spouting the words “sex scandals, corruption, nepotism and cronyism”.  The caption reads: “With apology to Brett Murray. No apology to President Zuma. Want respect ?... Earn it”

The president seems to think that his office includes an automatic right to respect? Zuma is a man who entered office with a sullied reputation. Our polygamous president’s utterances in court during his rape trial offered an uncomfortable insight into a man to whom sexual pleasure mattered more than safe sex and common sense. Mondi Makhaya is right – when Zuma is gone it will be his sexual legacy that we will remember more than anything else – even more than his flirtation with the corrupt. Zuma should take a break from his sexcapades, corruption and attacking his critics and start concentrating on his day job if he’s interesting in earning the countries respect. 

The original painting as displayed at the Goodman Gallery

Former Daily Dispatch editor Phylicia Oppelt points out that there are other works hanging in the same gallery that should cause the ANC far more discomfort and should lead to introspection. The work with the parties logo with a “For Sale” sign over which “SOLD” is printed, speaks to the heart of much. Its sole has been sold, to businessmen and to cadres out for self enrichment since the party came into power – and 18 years later the ANC leadership must surely worry where they find themselves.  Instead of suing over Zuma’s exposed genitals, the ruling party should take the artwork’s lessons to heart.

The ANC’s response to the Zuma artwork, litigation, is quite a silly one. Much sillier - or rather hysterically scary - it the possibility that Zuma might be installed at Luthuli House, and therefore the Union Buildings, for another term.