Naked Emperor: ANC deflecting attention from real issues

The ANC would do well to ignore the latest artistic rendition of the Presidential anatomy, as it should have ignored the first.

The Spear saga has clearly triggered a new genre: the Naked Emperor. Ayanda Mabulu's latest stab at the subject  is no doubt inspired  by the attention the ANC and the media  lavished on Brett Murray's work, and is on sale for no less than R75 000.

If the President feels that his rights to dignity and privacy are being invaded, he could reinstate or commence anew the application that was abandoned in the South Gauteng High Court for inter alia an order declaring that his section 10 and 14 rights are being violated, or alternatively sue for defamation.

But that action was abandoned after ANC leaders declared they could win on the streets what the law would not give them, a clear indication that the vindication of rights was never the true object of their protests, and that they do not in fact care about any rights.

The real purpose then was to whip up moral indignation and pain to mobilise a new coalition of the wounded for Mangaung and to trigger the "second transition" (now "phase") towards a rewritten Constitution. The unfortunate fact is that media and commentators were suckered into self-censorship.

They have now recovered from that bout of political correctness. It won't work again.

In addition, the ANC will want to reflect on the fact that no-one will be fooled by any attempt to deflect attention from the true crises we face, Marikana first and foremost among them.

And it is worth keeping in mind also that the latest Naked Emperor is being exhibited in Cape Town, which is less prone to political correctness than the Gauteng elite. Cape Town's reaction is probably unsuitable for family newspapers, and could therefore not enjoy quite the degree of media coverage The Spear enjoyed.

Statement issued by Dene Smuts MP, DA Shadow Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, August 29 2012

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