BRETT Murray’s The Spear has generated an extraordinary amount of media and political commentary, social media twittering, marches and protests, including the defacing of the painting itself. The rage expressed by many in response to the depiction of the private parts...
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An open letter to Ferial Haffajee | by Eusebius McKaiser
Eusebius McKaiser responds to The Spear's virtual death An open letter to Ferial Haffajee: A response to The Spear's virtual death Dear Ferial, You are obviously one of the country's most respected editors and perhaps even, as Peter Bruce, editor of Business Day,...
The Spear: The ANC’s phony outrage | by Brent Meersman
Brent Meersman says the fuss was manufactured to assist Jacob Zuma's re-election at Mangaung. The outrage over the Zuma Spear has now revealed itself to be as all about politics. Not for the first time, the country was brought almost to a standstill by its...
ANC vs City Press: What lies beneath | by Mandy de Waal
Some say it was the ANC's best chance to steer public attention away from its disastrous handling of the economy. Some say they just couldn't wait to spark an outrage so people would stop talking about textbooks being five months late in Limpopo. Some say the public...
The Spear: The ANC’s Pyrrhic victory | by Alexander Matthews
Alexander Matthews says City Press can be bullied but the internet is beyond its reach In a brave new world, the ANC's bullying tactics will fail There has been much gnashing of teeth at the decision made by the editor of City Press, Ferial Haffajee, to remove a photo...
City Press vs ANC: Who is the adult and who is the child? | by Gill Moodie
Who exactly, I have wondered as temperatures have risen over the past 10 days over Brett Murray's Zuma Spear painting, is the adult and who is the child in this situation? What started as a battle between the ANC, on one side, and the Goodman Gallery and City Press...
What is the point of The Spear? | by Andrew Donaldson
Andrew Donaldson on why Brett Murray's painting has provoked such unhinged fury LET us get to the heart of the matter. In his affidavit, which forms part of the ruling party's legal bid to remove Brett Murray's The Spear from public gaze, the painting's subject,...
Freedom vs dignity in art debate | by Nickolaus Bauer
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....
Why I dropped ‘The Spear’ | by Ferial Haffajee
Commentary from City Press editor-in-chief Ferial Haffajee on the City Press decision to remove "The Spear" from their website. "The Spear" is down - out of fear and care "The Spear" is down. Out of care and as an olive branch to play a small role in helping turn...
