Sheep magazine Archive 3: issues 18-24

24
Jonathan Shapiro (Zapiro), born in Cape Town, South Africa,
fulfilled his military requirement before becoming active in the
anti-apartheid movement, the United Democratic Front. In 1988,
on a Fulbright scholarship, he studied at the School of Visual Arts
in New York City with premier comic artists Art Spiegelman and
Harvey Kurtzman.
Today Zapiro is a noted editorial cartoonist with a busy schedule
drawing for South Africa’s Mail & Guardian and Sunday
Times. He has published 16 book compilations of his work and
received the 2007 Courage in Editorial Cartooning award from the
Cartoonists Rights Network International, which monitors and
supports the well-being of political cartoonists who find themselves
in trouble because of the power and influence of their professional
work. For several years, he’s been an invited speaker at the World
Economic Forum in Davos.
According to the Daily Maverick, “He didn’t censor himself
before the apartheid government (and he was jailed for it), he doesn’t
censor himself to appease big business, and he certainly doesn’t censor
himself to please the African National Congress — he is one of
those who takes most seriously Section 16 of the South African
constitution, the part where freedom of expression is enshrined.”
(below, left)
This cartoon conveys the
sense of loss of many South
Africans in 1999, when
their beloved President
Mandela retired.
(below, right)
In September 2008, Zapiro
depicted South African
President Jacob Zuma about
to rape Lady Justice with the
help of his allies. Zuma, who
had previously been accused
and acquitted of rape, was
about to receive a judgment
on whether a corruption case
against him would proceed.
Enormous pressure was being
put on the judiciary; anarchy
was threatened if the accusations
were upheld by the
court. The cartoon provoked
intense worldwide debate.
Jonathan Shapiro
12 S A M P S O N I A W A Y
From
photo: Karina Turok
SHEEP IN THE ROAD : NUMBER 20