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The recent controversy about the artist Brett Murray's "The Spear" painting provoked furious verbal and other acrobatics. Those who opposed the public showing of the painting did so claiming not to be censoring an exposed penis per se, but to be objecting to the...
James Ngculu joined Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK) after the 1976 uprising of Soweto. He occupied a variety of posts within MK and spent most of his time abroad in exile, where he became one of Chris Hani's closest companions. After 1994, he acted as the Provincial Secretary...
How far can artists go in satirising or sending up the powerful? That is the essence of the brouhaha over Brett Murray’s contentious The Spear painting depicting President Jacob Zuma with his genitals exposed in a pose reminiscent of Soviet leader Vladimir Lenin....
Julius Malema argues against the ANC's campaign to boycott the newspaper ENGAGE AND NOT BAN THE CITY PRESS In my tenure as President of the ANC Youth League, I have been a victim of vilification and dis-reputation by many South African leading newspapers. The...
“At the outset, I would like to say that I am a proud South African and a former supporter of the ANC. I am not a racist. I do not produce art with an intention to hurt, humiliate or insult, and that includes the painting that has caused this controversy. I...
The M&G in collaboration with Oresego Holdings debated the limits of freedom of expression, bringing together analysts, artists and academics. “We can’t see an African man with his clothes off but at the same time every 10 seconds in this country a woman is...
Jeremy Gordin says SA does appear to be in a state of perpetual hysteria these days As icy darkness fell over Johannesburg's northern suburbs last night and impis of men (sorry, I mean people) armed with the latest painting-defacing tools (cans of paint and their...
Contrary to many an opinion, the ANC's best friend these days is by now the infamous painting by Brett Murray. As things stand, they have reason to thank the artist for giving them a unique opportunity to further secure their core voting constituency from the further...
David Bullard on the curious case of the President's honourable member Keen observers of bogus piety would have been enthralled last weekend as the South African Media Synchronised Hypocrisy team went into their final stages of training before this year's Olympics....