Zapiro cartoon insensitive to rape survivors
Zapiro has done it again!
Cartoonist Jonathan Shapiro has found himself in the firing line over his recent controversial cartoon.
His latest offering is sickening, distasteful and brutally insensitive to rape survivors.
The cartoon depicts a shower-headed President Jacob Zuma zipping up his pants, after raping South Africa - as identified by a woman clad in our national flag.
The woman is held down by The New Age and ANN7, state organs and cronies. Our president than tells a Gupta: "She's all yours, boss!"
The drawing implies our country is being raped by 'Zupta'.
To use rape as a form of satire, which in its very definition refers to the use of humour, irony, exaggeration or ridicule to expose and criticise, tells you it's not okay. You see, there's nothing humorous about rape.
LISTEN: Zapiro cartoon opens old wounds for rape survivor
As a journalist I've heard the stories of many rape survivors and have even written about them in detail. Such a cartoon cannot be deemed okay when it invokes painful memories for so many women and men in our country.
Someone on Twitter asked the question: "Why is it so easy for men in this country to enact violence-metaphorically and otherwise-on black women's bodies without consequence?" This is a question that strongly resonates with me.
It's not the first time Zapiro has done it and I'm sure it won't be the last. He's done it at least five times over the last few years.
In 2010, the SA Human Rights Commission found a Zapiro cartoon depicting the president about to rape "Lady Justice" did not constitute hate speech, unfair discrimination or a violation of any human right enshrined in the Constitution.
The commission dismissed a complaint on the cartoon lodged by the Young Communist League and its national secretary Buti Manamela, that Zapiro had defamed Zuma or violated his right to dignity in the cartoon.
To me it's not about the president's dignity. It's about the dignity of women in our country.
I understand what Zapiro is trying to say about state of our country under Zuma's leadership, but it is unacceptable to use rape as a means to illustrate the point.
Using the brutal image of rape as a metaphor is violent, perpetuates rape culture and takes away from the seriousness of the crime.
His repetitive use of this metaphor dehumanises the real and torturous pain rape survivors suffer.
Zapiro capitalises on the bodies of black women and rape and it's not okay.
I think the time has come for Zapiro to pack away his pen and paper and call it a day!