Shock at new Zuma painting
An artist from Zwelitsha in the Eastern Cape, made headlines with his new painting depicting Zuma and a hyena performing sexual acts with a woman.
Tshegofatso Ngobeni
The ANC Women’s League is up in arms after another controversial painting of President Jacob Zuma went viral.
“We are appalled by the lack of respect, morality and lack of dignity that is depicted in the painting,” said league spokesperson Toko Xasa.
Ayanda Mabulu, an artist from Zwelitsha in the Eastern Cape, made headlines with his new painting depicting Zuma and a hyena performing sexual acts with a woman.
Mabulu, who is based in Johannesburg, said the painting was a reflection of the country’s current situation under Zuma’s leadership.
This painting is not the first of its kind showing Zuma in an unflattering light. An earlier painting, depicting him with exposed genitals, sparked outrage which led to a protest march.
Mabulu said his painting reflected the situation in the country.
“It is sad to see a man starving in the street while being promised houses by our government.”
The woman in the painting, he said, depicted South Africa’s young democracy being molested by Zuma and his leadership.
The hyena in the photo represented a “colonial master”.
“We continue to be raped and molested by Zuma and the ANC. I am not scared of them and I don’t care what they say,” Mabulu said.
Asked whether he thought his painting was shocking and derogatory, Mabulu said: “What is shocking to me is what the government is doing to our country.”
He said he would continue doing paintings to reflect South Africa should the situation stay the same — not for the fame but for the people of South Africa.
The painting was to be bought by a private buyer who Mabulu declined to name.
It is titled “Spear down the throat, the pornography of power”.
Xasa said Zuma needed to be respected by all citizens, adding that Mabulu had abused principles of ubuntu.
“You do not have to communicate in a nasty way to be heard. What an insult this is to us.”
Xasa suggested the painting made a mockery of the president and women and children especially with high levels of violence against them.
“We will consult with the ANC to see what steps can be taken,” Xaba said.
Johan Thom, a senior lecturer in fine arts at the University of Pretoria, said there was nothing wrong with the painting as it did not symbolise Zuma in person but demonstrated what the entire painting stood for.
“I think people need to understand that this painting of the president symbolises power structures. It is an interaction between masculinity, politics and the exercise of power in the country,” Thom said.
He said more artists were doing such controversial paintings as the topic of masculinity and what it represented had become sensitive in society.
Thom called for more dialogue on topics such as these. The painting was a reflection of the artist’s personal view and should not be taken literally, he said.
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