Mail & Guardian cartoonist explains the cartoons published in the M&G that won him the Mondi Shanduka award for 2009.
The Story Behind ‘Pontius Mpshe’
This reflects my outrage at the decision by NPA director Mokotedi Mpshe to drop the corruption charges against Jacob Zuma.
I agree with the many legal experts that the “legal” reason given by Mpshe was not substantive and that the dropping of charges was a political decision paving the way for a Zuma presidency. The crucifixion metaphor carried added weight in being drawn at Easter.
‘Vote Anc ’94-’09’
Nelson Mandela has been written about many times as a moral giant with huge shoes to fill, which led me to play with the metaphor.
In 1999 Mbeki had to deal being compared to Mandela, a difficult comparison to live up to. By 2004, his paranoia, aids denialism and prickliness about criticism had furthered reduced his stature. And by 2009, things had worsened still further, the election being largely about the victory of the tainted candidate Zuma over Mbeki.
‘Blade’s New Car’
After the election, old fault lines in the Tripartite Alliance quickly re-emerged. Some of Zuma’s allies in the campaign to make him president now found themselves once again in opposing camps. Some were rewarded with cabinet positions and quickly took to the bling and the trough. Minister of Education Blade Nzimande was one of those who got himself a top-of-the-range car, putting him in conflict with Cosatu’s anti-greed campaign, an irony exacerbated by Nzimande’s being a top communist.