COSAS STATEMENT ON ZAPIRO CARTOON
The Congress of South African Students would like to register its view on the preposterous character by the name of Zapiro.
The Congress of South African Students has observed with utter disgust the continued rise of disrespect and ignorance on our African principles guided by our African philosophy of Ubuntu by the populist character of Zapiro whose popularity strives on character assassinations of our African leaders.
In South Africa we indeed have one of the most democratic orientated constitutions in the world, which allows its citizens to enjoy freedom in a number of things such as freedom of expression, freedom of association and so forth. We all know the history that we come from as a country which was filled with oppression, inequality, suppression of ideas and silencing of citizens from voicing out their views on matters affecting them as a country.
The redrafting of the constitution of the country was guided by a need to address such elements in order for South Africa as a country to achieve the redress which was needed in order to do away with elements which had continued to undermine the right for citizens of this country to live in freedom in their country.
It is important to note that the freedom we received also the constitution of South Africa itself never delegitimized our African principles of Ubuntu which speak of respect, dignity, leaving in harmony and so forth. This character of Zapiro continues to ignore these principles which are our base as Africans and guide us in our daily living even before we go on to look at what the constitution of the country is saying and of course in its correct context.