The spear!

It will not astonish many that I write about the story, or should I call it the scandal that waded through the country (South Africa) lately, inciting some passionate feelings from the African National Congress, its allies and President Jacob Zuma’s family.

Many stories involving the country’s politics and/or politicians themselves have rocked the country recently, but none has dragged on for such a time and still dominating national broadcasting interest like the painting by artist Brett Murray called the Spear. This painting has sparked a huge outcry from many parties – calling it racist and a violation of Zuma’s human rights, some even blaming it on the vast rights afforded to the media and artists alike.

The ANC has since called for the removal of this piece of art from the “City Press” newspaper’s website, published three weeks ago, but the newspaper has been adamant in arguing that they have not transgressed any law and will not remove it. The newspaper’s editor, Ferial Haffajee, has instead said it was the move by the ANC to take the paper to court which has caused this much excitement and focus from the whole world.

Just last Tuesday, two gentlemen were nabbed for allegedly defacing this painting from the Goodman gallery, one of them, a university professor. However this was not enough, because a third man was also caught trying to – according to him, spray “respect Zuma” on the same painting.

The secretary generals of the ANC, and SACP-Gwede Mantashe and Blade Nzimande respectively, have been calling for a boycott of the newspaper’s products, like the placement of ads with it, and Mantashe has also been amongst the calls for a march to the newspaper’s and the gallery’s (Goodman gallery) headquarters.

A concern from some parties was the fact that the artist who drew the picture isn’t getting an equal rebuke. A certain radio presenter posed the question to the ANC spokesman, Jackson Mthembu: “why aren’t the stand-up comedians in the country also challenged for the utterances they make about Zuma”, - he went on to make reference to Trevor Noah and his recent materials.

A recent development has been President Jacob Zuma’s family embarking on a march organised by the ‘South African Traditional Music Awards (SATMA)’ to also call for the removal of the piece, and demanded an apology from the artist. Some other artist was said to have drawn Premier Helen Zille and other white, right-wing figures like the late Eugene Terreblanche, in retaliation.

The ANC youth league expelled leader, Julius Malema is seemingly looking to take this opportunity and continue to torment the ANC, as I heard the newspaper’s editor say she’d received an sms from him reading: “You see! Now they are coming for you…” and he allegedly promised to write a piece with the newspaper detailing, I don’t know what!?

To wrap the week, were reports of a ‘German art collector’ that is reportedly on their way to Johannesberg for the R136 000 piece of defaced art.