South African cartoonist draws controversy with rape cartoon

Jonathan Shapiro's political cartoon has gotten him into some hot water with the African National Congress.: (www.thetimes.co.za)South African cartoonist Jonathan Shapiro is in hot water over a controversial cartoon he penned of Jacob Zuma, the president of the African National Congress (ANC), preparing to rape lady justice.

The cartoon, published in the Independent Times, a prominent newspaper in Johannesburg under Shapiro's pen-name 'Zapiro', was quickly condemned as insulting and defamatory by the ANC and its tripartite alliance parties. ANC secretary general Gwede Mantashe labelled it racist.

"The cartoon rubbishes the collective integrity of the alliance and constitutes yet another continued violation of the rights and dignity of the ANC president," the ANC, its youth league and the SA Communist Party said in a joint statement.

African National Congress president Jacob Zuma.: (Getty Images)"There is a very, very pronounced tendency in this country towards exceptionalism, as if our politicians are more sacrosanct than politicians worldwide. That I take issue with," Shapiro told the Sunday Times.

"I really feel strongly that they have to take a hard look at what they are doing and not use the red herring of racism."

According to the New York Times, each of the tripartite alliance parties have been active in trying to thwart a criminal case filed against Mr. Zuma, who has been charged with corruption, money laundering and racketeering. He will presumably become the nation’s president next year unless legal problems prevent his election.

Zuma was charged with raping a young woman in 2006, but was found not guilty. The then South African ex-Deputy President said he showered after sex with the HIV-positive woman, thinking this would reduce his risk of being infected. For this reason, Zapiro always portrays Zuma with a showerhead coming out of his head in all of his cartoons.

In his online blog, University of the Western Cape constitutional law academic Professor Pierre de Vos said that although he is a fan of Zapiro's cartoons, he wondered whether the cartoonist had now gone too far and done something "immoral and ethically deeply problematic".

"I do wonder whether by using the metaphor of rape, Zapiro is not cheapening the horror of rape and - given our deeply patriarchal and sexist society - is not helping to desensitize us to this scourge," de Vos said.

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