ANC calls on all South Africans to boycott buying City Press Newspaper and to join the protest match to the Goodman Gallery
The
African National Congress (ANC) calls upon all South Africans, members
of the ANC and the Alliance, to indefinitely boycott buying the City
Press Newspaper. The boycott will stand until the removal of the
insulting portrait of President Jacob Zuma from their website.
Furthermore, we call upon all South Africans to join our protest action
on Tuesday, 29 May 2012, to the Goodman Gallery in Johannesburg. Further
details on the protest march will be provided in due course.
The City Press newspaper, by continuing to exhibit the offensive
painting has clearly shown its collusion to the indecent depiction of
President Zuma which violates his right to human dignity. The City Press
has therefore become a paragon of immorality, abuse and perpetrator of
injustice and slander. Their refusal to remove this portrait from their
website and their controlled social media is a clear indication that
this newspaper does not belong to our shared democratic dispensation and
values.
This newspaper has singled itself as anti ANC, the President, our
democracy and the majority of South Africans. It is our view that City
Press has placed profiteering and populism before the principles
enshrined in our constitution. City Press has missed an opportunity to
prove to this country that they are indeed committed to our Constitution
and its values.
The protest action to the Goodman gallery is aimed at further
intensifying our campaign against this gallery`s refusal to remove this
insulting portrait from their website. Furthermore, this protest action,
seeks to show our total condemnation and disdain to any form of art
that is indecent, dehumanising and demeaning to any person including
President Jacob Zuma.
We are also through this protest action directed at Goodman gallery,
saying with one voice and our foot that nobody including, Brett Murray
and the gallery has a right to "deface" the ANC`s logo and insignia. The logo of the ANC with an inscription "FOR SALE" and "SOLD" has not
only defaced a symbol that the ANC has intellectual property right to,
but is a clear sign of attack on the ANC as an organisation.
We are therefore calling upon all South Africans, our Alliance
partners, our members as well as our supporters to come not only to
defend the rights of our President to be treated with human dignity but
also to come and defend the African National Congress.
The ANC is humbled by the overwhelming support from all South
Africans who come from all walks of life and political persuasions, who
continue to support the noble call made by our constitution and
reiterated by the ANC that the rights of President Zuma have been
violated.
Let us continue to defend all the rights that are contained in our
constitution as we believe that the right to freedom of artistic
expression does not supersede other rights that are enshrined in our
constitution. We will use all avenues available to us in this regard,
those avenues includes courts, protest action and boycotts of any
offending party.
Issued by:
Jackson Mthembu
ANC National Spokesperson
Jackson Mthembu
ANC National Spokesperson
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