GOODMAN Gallery owner Lisa Essers has criticised the ANC for bullying tactics after the march to her gallery on Tuesday.
The march followed the controversy over The Spear painting which depicted President Jacob Zuma with his private parts exposed.
Essers said she felt saddened that her staff and the gallery itself were threatened in the past weeks.
"I don't think marches and boycotts are the way forward. I think that's bullying in a way," Essers told journalists in Johannesburg yesterday.
ANC spokesman Jackson Mthembu, who was at the media briefing, said the party did not condone threats and had no intention to bully.
He denied that the ANC was fascist, saying developments that led to the removal of the portrait and an apology came after pleas from the ruling party. "We never threatened anyone. We used instruments in our constitution."
The ANC, Zuma and his family took the matter to court, saying the painting was "insulting, disrespectful, racist" and an attack on Zuma's dignity.
Mthembu said the events of the past weeks highlighted the need for South Africans to heal wounds inflicted by apartheid. As a "gesture of goodwill", Essers agreed to remove the image from their website.
She denied being censored by the ruling party, saying the decision to remove The Spear from the public domain came after much introspection. She and Cape Town artist Brett Murray also apologised to the ANC for the art work .
Essers said she would also consider dropping malicious damage to property charges against the two men who defaced the painting last week - Barend la Grange and taxi driver Louis Mabokela.
The Spear was bought by a German art collector for R136000. It was part of the Hail to the Thief II collection on display until June 16.
However, SACP leader Blade Nzimande said the painting must be destroyed. But Essers said the owner had the legal right to it.
In a memorandum signed on Tuesday, Essers and Murray said it was not their intention to harm anyone's dignity.
The ANC has also abandoned its high court action to interdict the gallery and City Press, which has also publicly apologised. - nhlabathih@sowetan.co.za
Gallery and ANC make peace
GOODMAN Gallery owner Lisa Essers has criticised the ANC for bullying tactics after the march to her gallery on Tuesday.
The march followed the controversy over The Spear painting which depicted President Jacob Zuma with his private parts exposed.
Essers said she felt saddened that her staff and the gallery itself were threatened in the past weeks.
"I don't think marches and boycotts are the way forward. I think that's bullying in a way," Essers told journalists in Johannesburg yesterday.
ANC spokesman Jackson Mthembu, who was at the media briefing, said the party did not condone threats and had no intention to bully.
He denied that the ANC was fascist, saying developments that led to the removal of the portrait and an apology came after pleas from the ruling party. "We never threatened anyone. We used instruments in our constitution."
The ANC, Zuma and his family took the matter to court, saying the painting was "insulting, disrespectful, racist" and an attack on Zuma's dignity.
Mthembu said the events of the past weeks highlighted the need for South Africans to heal wounds inflicted by apartheid. As a "gesture of goodwill", Essers agreed to remove the image from their website.
She denied being censored by the ruling party, saying the decision to remove The Spear from the public domain came after much introspection. She and Cape Town artist Brett Murray also apologised to the ANC for the art work .
Essers said she would also consider dropping malicious damage to property charges against the two men who defaced the painting last week - Barend la Grange and taxi driver Louis Mabokela.
The Spear was bought by a German art collector for R136000. It was part of the Hail to the Thief II collection on display until June 16.
However, SACP leader Blade Nzimande said the painting must be destroyed. But Essers said the owner had the legal right to it.
In a memorandum signed on Tuesday, Essers and Murray said it was not their intention to harm anyone's dignity.
The ANC has also abandoned its high court action to interdict the gallery and City Press, which has also publicly apologised. - nhlabathih@sowetan.co.za
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