The Individual, Auto/biography and History in South Africa

artist, Jacob Khumalo, who had exhibited his Mandela paintings at the Ubuntu craft
village at the World Summit, to remove the images. Both artists insisted that their work
had been motivated by their “admiration for Madiba”. 273
The NMF had become aware of Mandela’s brand value after US research had shown that
Mandela’s face was “the most recognisable in the world”, and that his brand was
surpassed only by Coca‐Cola. Permission was required for the reproduction or sale of an
image of a head of state. Anything that resembled Mandela required the NMF’s
authorisation. The NMF claimed that they would give permission for images that “will
enhance his image and not something that will break down his image”. It was very
important that Mandela’s “image and stature … be respected”. The NSF’s action sent
ripples through the gallery circuit in South Africa resulting in some removing all paintings
containing any reference to Mandela. 274 After the NMF had given the Treatment Action
Campaign (TAC) permission to use an image of Mandela in a TAC T‐shirt for its
advertising campaign, it was forced to step in to prevent potential embarrassment, when it
found the image used on posters advertising a march to parliament. 275
While the NMF attempted to curtail some acts of Mandela reproduction, they encouraged
others including the incorporation of an image of Mandela’s face on to an elaborate
national costume made of ostrich skin and feathers, which Miss South Africa would wear
at the 2004 Ecuador Miss Universe pageant. The NMF spearheaded a campaign named
after Mandela’s Robben Island prison number, 46664 to raise substantial funds for
HIV/Aids anti‐retroviral treatment projects, for the care and support of infected people,
for social and scientific research, and generally “to arouse the conscience of the world”.
An internationally televised benefit concert in Cape Town in December 2003 saw
international artists perform in front of a giant bust of Mandela’s smiling face, ensuring
273 Lesley Mofokeng, ‘Madiba artist gets brush‐off’, Sunday Times, 1 September 2002; Hazel Friedman,
‘What’s in a name? Evidently everything’, Mail and Guardian, 13‐19 September 2002.
274 Lesley Mofokeng, ‘Madiba artist gets brush‐off’; Hazel Friedman, ‘What’s in a name?’.
275 Jo‐Anne Smetherham, ‘Mandela backs cause, but not march’, Cape Times, 13 February 2003.
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