Presidential head removed!

Before anyone gets too excited, this is not about some faction of the ANC getting rid of President Zuma, but the continuing drama of "The Spear" The latest news being of course that the painting was vandalised by a professor and an assistant. In dramatic fashion and typical South African irony, this act of destruction was caused by a white man. I expect the ANC will be incensed, that with all it's rhetoric about the supposed  racist undertones in connection with this painting, that it took a white man, with a black helper to finally depenisize (a new word) the object of their anger. Their only saving grace perhaps is that they chose black paint and not the other hue. Dismembered but not forgotten.

Frankly, since this story first broke, it was the only time that I saw the presidential pecker. (I'm really not complaining)  It has since been sanitized for viewing pleasure in all publications that I have seen. So is media self censorship rearing it's ugly head again?

 Instead of having risen to the occasion, the ANC has once again exposed itself as an immature government. The Canadians have had their own version of their Prime Minister depicted in rather unflattering form, with nothing but a tuft of hair pointing to the spot where something more substantial could have been lurking. I'm sure the Canadians had every reason to be upset for being sold short, but no, they have laughed about it.

If Zuma had any sense, he would have posted this, by all accounts flattering, rendition of himself on Facebook. We could then be reading about new nuptials every weekend. The other nude painting of Zuma, by Ayanda Mabulu, hasn't raised the ire of the ANC in any way that I know of. For those who haven't seen it, it has a chastity belt- like iron ring around it, supported by a Salvador Dali-like crutch. Talk about support for the President! In comparison to Brett Murray's painting, hers is positively limp in comparison. Double speak, 1984 comes to mind.


Coming back to the Proff and his sidekick, there will be conjecture as to their motives : Is he an envious struggling artist, a man with penis envy, or someone looking for a place at the ANC feeding trough? Only time will tell, but with our ever efficient judicial system, we will have to wait with bated breath. On the positive side, we are, rest assured, that the rainbow nation is still functioning, albeit in criminal form. I wonder if the German buyer of the painting will want a refund, or treasure it more because of the extra material used in its creation. In any event, as smudge as some would see this painting now, they are no longer permitted the freedom to see it's original form.