Taken from his cartoons from the Mail &
Guardian, Sunday Times and The Times, Zapiro’s latest publication, But Will It Stand Up in Court? offers
another clever and satirical look at South Africa and its government – as well
as notable events worldwide - over the past year.
In 2012, Zapiro received the International
Publishers Association’s (IPA) Freedom to Publish Prize as well as the Standard
Bank Sikuvile Newspaper Journalism Award for Editorial cartooning.
2012 was also the year of President Zuma’s R5
million court case against Zapiro which came to trial in October (eventually
dropped). This, combined with the ANC’s court action against Brett Murray over The Spear, his controversial painting of
the President with his genitals exposed which was on exhibition at the Goodman
Gallery in Cape Town, informs the title of this year’s collection.
The first cartoon sets the tone. President
Zuma (Zapiro’s shower head firmly in place) is dozing with his feet up on his
desk. His In-Tray towers above him with outstanding issues. In the Out-Tray are
casually-thrown documents announcing “Cele
Suspended After 7 Months” and “Arms Deal
Inquiry After 12 years”. The billboard behind him shouts “Speed Kills”, a slogan from the
Department of Transport!
In the In-Tray is the reference to the
Dalai Lama’s second recent attempt to visit South Africa, this time for
Archbishop Tutu’s 80th birthday. The request is ignored by South
African authorities who won’t jeopardise trade links with China.
And so it goes on ...
There’s much comment on the Secrecy Bill –
later dubbed the Sheeprecy Bill. Zuma uses his shower head to douse Free
Speech’s flame. Mac Maharaj (in a Kentucky Chicken drive-through) asks his
customer “Do You want Lies with that?”
Julius Malema comes in for a fair amount of
comment, charting the course of his alienation from the ANC to the point where
he is suspended. Zapiro’s pen aims its barbs at suspended police commissioners Cele
and Selebi, noting the latter’s request for medical parole and showing him strolling
along a golf course with Shabir Shaik.
Other subjects include the ineffectual
support of South Africa for COP 17 towards a legally binding emissions treaty; Grade
1 to 10 books found dumped or burnt, and E-tolling where the Colossus of Roads
(aka Cosatu) mobilises mass action and the on-off launch to bring it into
operation
We are reminded of the tragedy at Marikana
in the North West province where platinum mine workers striking for better pay were
mown down by police and of the devastating destruction of 450 (numbered at the
time of publishing) rhinos by poachers
It all wasn’t doom and gloom – there’s
coverage of the 2012 Olympics and the Paralympic Games in London and South
Africa’s successes.
In lighter vein, there’s reference to the
hartebeest which flattened a 17 year-old mountain biker (the video clip gets
three million views) and a clever cartoon relating to the Democratic Alliance,
showing the caterpillar metamorphosis of Athol Trollip into the butterfly that
is Lindiwe Mazibuko. There’s delightful reference to the social media language
of today where Santa’s Elves admit that they need younger support to understand
what young people are talking about!
Zapiro is known and respected for his
fearlessness in ”telling how it is”. But
Will It Stand Up in Court? subtitled Zapiro
Annual 2012 is published by Jacana in paperback in colour. ISBN: 9781431404506, Recommended
retail price R150. – Caroline Smart
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