ONLY IN AFRICA: “THE PAINTING DILEMMA”

  ONLY IN AFRICA: “THE PAINTING DILEMMA”

You must have seen or heard in the internet, social media sites and in the media platform as a whole, how the world laughed at him. The satire it generated goes beyond words. We all laughed comfortably at his gaucherie and plain stupidity.

“The spear” or “umkhonto” in Sotho. That’s the name the white painter saw fit to describe his painting that exposes president Zuma’s penis. The president himself termed it disrespectful and one that impunes him as a womanizer. The clergy men termed it as disrespect to African culture and that the artist should be torched to death. But facts prove otherwise don’t they? Mr. President, if I was your lawyer, I would have advised you to remain mum. How many people go to art galleries if you come to think of it? Your line of defense is shaky and one that can be argued and proven guilty with a smirk on our faces at the courtroom due to the facts of your numerous public display of wives and girlfriends.

What would happen if a major art gallery showed a painting of Barrack Obama or the Queen with their genitals hanging out? Is it even likely? But this is Africa! The unfeeling continent.

I bet though, the president himself will never forget. He must remember it the rest of his life even as his own nation salves their conscience with more bottles of beer and with their many unanswered questions, they will end up discussing in the safety of their homes, watching the cheap TV programmes- the rejects of America and Europe, imported to fill their vacuity.

I watched poor old Zuma closely and I can’t describe the shock and disbelief which was registered on his face. Even as the government, the artist and the art gallery owner came into a compromise to have the painting removed, it was with difficulty he regained composure.

Ironically, the art gallery, termed the “fete of thief”, rumor has it that a German tycoon bought the painting for $ 10,000. Quite a lot of money compared to the fact that the penis size was 10 inches so I guess 100 bucks for every inch…I will leave you to do the math!