A war of words has erupted between ANC and DA leaders over the latest painting depicting President Jacob Zuma’s genitals.
|||Cape Town – A war of words has erupted between provincial ANC and DA leaders over the latest controversial painting depicting President Jacob Zuma’s genitals, by artist Ayanda Mabulu and currently on display at a Cape Town gallery.
On the one side is ANC provincial leader Marius Fransman, who called the artist a “house slave” for “doing the dirty work of his master”.
On the other is his DA counterpart Theuns Botha, who accused Fransman of launching a “racist tirade”. He threatened to take Fransman to the Human Rights Commission or the Equality Court if he failed to apologise for his comments.
Fransman has, in turn, accused the DA of defending “despicable depictions” of the president, and questioned whether the DA was behind the art in a move to undermine the head of state.
He added that it was interesting that a senior MEC such as Botha took such a bold step in direct conflict with the views, norms and values of many DA supporters and other people in the province.
“Do all those who do not subscribe to such public nudity, like Muslims and Christians, now agree with Botha that a very vulgar portrayal… is sanctioned by all supporting his party?” Fransman asked.
He added that Botha, in a statement, validated the attack on the dignity of the person and high office of the president under the guise of freedom of expression and, in the same breath, threatened those who dared to criticise “this act of disgrace in any terms”.
“This is typical of the double standard hypocrisy of the DA and its leaders who are out of touch with citizens of the Western Cape and South Africa.” Fransman said. He added it was not the first time Mabulu had
depicted Zuma in such a manner.
“In an earlier painting, ripping off the sanctity of the biblical Last Supper, he showed an exposed Zuma and… also disgracefully painted the private parts of Emeritus Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu.”
Fransman said the artist’s intentions were anything but noble, and that claims by the gallery curators to the contrary were not wholly sincere. – Sunday Independent