Zuma camp vents fury over rape cartoon

A cartoon depicting ANC leader Jacob Zuma about to rape a woman symbolising South African justice has caused a major row between the country's leading Sunday newspaper and senior political figures.

The caricature in the Sunday Times by cartoonist Zapiro has leading officials from the ANC, communist party and trade unionists holding down the woman who is blindfolded, wearing a "justice system" sash with broken scales beside her. ANC secretary general Gwede Mantashe shouts 'go for it, boss' at Zuma who is undoing his trousers and has a shower head attached to his skull – a reference to his rape trial two years ago when he was acquitted of assaulting a family friend after which he said showering would protect him from HIV/Aids.

The satirical sketch in the news and opinion section is meant to depict what some claim is the ruling ANC's sustained attack on the independent judiciary ahead of an expected corruption trial involving Zuma.

But the organizations featured in the cartoon have demanded an apology from the Sunday Times.

A spokesman for Cosatu (Congress of South African Trade Unions) said: "While we accept that cartoonists have the licence to express controversial views, the cartoon is in extremely bad taste and goes way beyond the limits of acceptability.

"It is thus highly defamatory and was clearly intended to poison the minds of the readers against the ANC president and support the campaign to discredit and depose him.

"Secondly, the use of a woman who is about to be raped to represent the justice system is grossly insensitive in the context of a crisis of rape and violence against women. We demand that the Sunday Times publish an apology."

Cartoonist Zapiro – real name Jonathan Shapiro – said he had thought "very, very carefully" about the cartoon and had discussed it with female friends.

"There is a very, very pronounced tendency in this country towards exceptionalism, as if our politicians are more sacrosanct than politicians worldwide. That I take issue with," he said.

"I really feel strongly that they have to take a hard look at what they are doing and not use the red herring of racism," while acknowledging the cartoon was "outrageous" and "very explosive".

In a radio interview he added: "The central message in the cartoon is that Zuma is about to, poised to, trying to rape justice system with the help and complicity of his political allies."

Both he and Sunday Times editor Mondli Makhanya have refused to apologise.

As the political pressure continued, Shapiro did receive some support from Anton Harber, Wits University's Caxton Professor of Journalism. He said Shapiro had 'pushed the bounds of good taste and fair comment' in his 'provocative' and 'breathtaking' cartoon.

He added: "I think in an open society we give space to our artists to be provocative and to push the envelope, even to shock us, even to offend us. He has certainly done that. Good for him, that's what we want."

Zuma will hear on Friday whether he faces a second trial after he applied last month at the High Court in Pietermaritzburg to have charges of corruption, money-laundering and fraud thrown out. His former financial adviser, Schabir Shaik, was given a 15-year prison sentence for paying him bribes in 2005 but a trial against Zuma collapsed a year later. Another trial would undermine his chances of becoming South Africa president in elections next year.

While he awaits the decision, opposition parties have accused the ANC of an orchestrated attack on the judiciary and policing.

Two months ago Mantashe accused judges at the Constitutional Court of being 'counter-revolutionary forces' while ANC Youth League president Julius Malema and Cosatu secretary general Zwelinzima Vavi – both of whom also feature in the cartoon - have said they are prepared to "kill for Zuma", earning them a rebuke from their leader.

The ANC is also in the process of disbanding the elite FBI-style Scorpions crime-fighting unit which investigated Zuma's alleged corruption. Its members are to be incorporated into the regular South African Police Service whose boss Jackie Selebi is himself suspended pending investigation of fraud and racketeering allegations despite reported protection from current president Thabo Mbeki.