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.
South Africa is situated in Africa and the majorities who live in it are Africans who subscribe to these principles. With that having had been said every institution in this country ought to consider that unless if they are saying they do not care about the majority of this continent and their way of living they need to be guided by these principles as well.
As the Congress of South African Students we are saying this misrepresentation of our constitution as a country must come into an end. Unless we are saying that it would be correct for the Congress of South African Students to go out in every platform and mobilize its members who are under the age of 17 years to fight war with war and react to every publication which seeks to delegitimize our country‘s African principles and those that seek to misuse our South African constitution to continue advocating for their racist nature because in the end we know that children who are under the age of 17 years in South Africa are regarded as minors.
Statement issued by COSAS President General, Collen Malatji, June 9 2014
The original cartoon by Zapiro July 11 2002:
Source: Zapiro.com
The version that has recently been re-circulated on social media following President Jacob Zuma's admittance to hospital:
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