Potchefstroomer brings Zille to tears with personal sketch

Carla Mouton

Potchefstroom-based freelance artist, Pogiso (Pjay) Motubatsi brought Western Cape Premier, Helen Zille, to tears when he presented her with a framed pencil-sketched portrait of herself. Zille was an honoured guest at a book launch at Cape Town-based NPO Selesian Life Choices on Friday, 30 June.

The 34 year old Motubatsi is one of 20 artists who were illustrated in the Cape Town Youth Book.
‘Being from a small town like Potch and being illustrated in a book in Cape Town is a huge deal for me,’ he said.
Motubatsi, a self-trained artist from Potchefstroom who currently works at Impala Platinum mine in Rustenburg, said it’s always been a dream to meet “Mom Helen” and when he heard she was going to be at the launch, he spent all his free time on completing the artwork.

‘I started six days before the event sketching Helen Zille,’ he said.

Zille said she was deeply honoured to receive the “perfect” pencil drawing from Motubatsi.
Motubatsi, apart from being an illustrator, is a cartoonist and aspiring animator. He started drawing when he was around the age of ten. Motubatsi looks at trends and international artists for inspiration.

‘I am trying to bring change with my art,’ he said.

He dreams of getting the chance to study art and graphic design at an art school. His cartoons have been featured in local publications, including the Herald, and he won first place at the North West Art Competition as well as an award from the Tlokwe Municipality in 2016.

He has also exhibited his work at the decor and art exhibition in Cape Town, Decorex, and is often commissioned to do artwork for private and corporate collections.