Posts Tagged ‘Jacob Zuma’
April 26th, 2013
South Africa’s parliament yesterday approved a controversial bill aimed at protecting state secrets. Dubbed the “secrecy bill” by its critics, the Protection of State Information bill was passed by 189 votes to 74. Campaigners against the bill warned of the “chilling effect” it could create for anyone fighting to bring government corruption to light.
The Right2Know campaign has been working against the bill since its introduction in 2010, and has vowed to continue fighting against the bill, which now must be signed by Jacob Zuma, South Africa’s president, in order to go into effect. Although the bill was amended last year to include a clause on public interest, the campaign says that the modified bill still “only has narrow protection for whistleblowers and public advocates”. Right2Know also criticised the bill’s vague language — which they say could possibly endanger whistleblowers and journalists.
Writing for Index on Censorship last year, Nobel laureate Nadine Gordimer said that the bill “must be discarded in its entirety.”
More on this story:
June 1st, 2012
Controversial painting of
South African President Jacob Zuma has been given an
age restriction. The piece entitled “The Spear” which displays the president with his genitals exposed, has been given a 16N rating by The Film and Publication Board, meaning children under the age of 16 cannot view the work because it contains nudity. Anyone who wishes to reproduce the image will also be subject to the restriction. Earlier this week, City Press were
forced to remove an image of the painting from their website. Zuma has
taken legal action to have the painting removed from the Goodman Gallery in Johannesburg.
May 30th, 2012
The website of a
South African newspaper has been
forced to remove an image of a controversial painting of President Jacob Zuma. City Press newspaper were put under pressure from the ruling African National Congress (ANC) who called for the website to be boycotted until the “insulting portrait” was removed. The image, which shows the president with his genitals exposed and is entitled The Spear, appeared as part of a satirical art exhibition at a gallery in Johannesburg, and has caused massive controversy, leading to Zuma taking
legal action to have the portrait removed.
May 28th, 2012
A controversial painting depicting
South African president Jacob Zuma exposing his genitals has been
vandalised at the Goodman Gallery in Johannesburg. The image, which has prompted Zuma to
take legal action to have it removed from the gallery, has been covered in black and red paint. The painting — entitled The Spear — by provocative artist Brett Murray, has already been sold for $14,000 (£9,000). The vandals claimed the the painting is “disrespectful to President Zuma”.
May 22nd, 2012
South Africa’s president is taking
legal action after the showing of a painting displaying his genitals. Jacob Zuma is arguing that the painting of him by artist Brett Murray should be removed because it violates his right to dignity and makes a mockery of his office. The piece, entitled The Spear, is currently displayed in the Goodman Gallery in Johannesburg. Zuma claims that the piece portrays him as “a philanderer, a womaniser and one with no respect”. The African National Congress (ANC) has said the piece presents a crude stereotype of African male sexuality.
December 14th, 2010
South African president,
Jacob Zuma has filed a $440,000 defamation lawsuit over a cartoon depicting him as a
rapist of the justice system. The cartoon, published in 2008 by South Africa’s Sunday Times, depicts Zuma pulling his trousers down and about to rape a woman symbolising the justice system, aided by allies. One of Zuma’s allies depicted in the cartoon, filed a complaint about the cartoon before South Africa’s Human Rights Commission in 2008, however the commission concluded that the cartoon did not violate Zuma’s constitutional right to dignity or constitute hate speech.
March 19th, 2010
The leader of the youth wing of South Africa’s ruling African National Congress (ANC) has been
found guilty of hate speech. Julius Malema has been ordered to apologise for remarks he made last year, which suggested that the women who accused President Jacob Zuma of rape had enjoyed the experience. The prominent South African politician was ordered by the Equality Court to pay 50,000 rand to a shelter for abused women. Zuma was
acquitted of rape in 2006 after he insisted that the sex with his accuser was consensual.
July 31st, 2009
The Guardian has published an apology and has settled out of court for an undisclosed amount with the South African President. The paper had described president Zuma in an article as a rapist. President Zuma, although brought to court for both rape and corruption was not convicted as guilty. Read more
here
