Political satire is the bread and butter of many cartoonists in our beloved country. This is so in part because it catches peoples attention and in part because there is just so much material provided by our government.
One of the latest cartoon in this stream has caused more uproar than usual and has been deemed “racist” by a number of Twitter users.
A cartoon used by Eyewitness News contained racial undertones and insulted voters, the ANC claimed on Thursday.
“We view this in a serious light given the resilience of racism in the South African discourse and the condescending attitude demonstrated by some elements in the media and society,” spokesperson Zizi Kodwa said in a statement.
“Such attitudes particularly from the media reinforce the view that some sections of the media misuse the freedom of expression to undermine gains made thus far.”
EWN has issued an apology for any “unintentional” offence caused but has asserted their commitment to free speech and editorial independence. Here is the cartoon (it is unclear from the report whether or not EWN has removed it from their site but it does seem like it):
Edgy, yes.
Calling the ANC out on it’s dirty laundry, yes.
Racist? Tell us what you think.
[Source: News24]
