Namhla Tshisela and Anna Majavu

Namhla Tshisela and Anna Majavu

The ANC and its allies - the ANC Youth League, the SACP and Cosatu - has slammed a cartoon published in the Sunday Times, describing it as an abuse of media freedom.

In a joint statement yesterday, the ANC, ANCYL and SACP said the cartoon was distasteful and bordered on defamation of character because it depicted ANC president Jacob Zuma as a rapist - despite having been found not guilty on such a charge.

Cosatu spokesman Patrick Craven said the cartoon was in extremely bad taste and was way beyond the limits of acceptability.

He said the use of a women who was about to be raped to represent the justice system was grossly insensitive "in the context of a crisis of rape and violence against women".

The general secretary of South African Council of Churches, Abbey Makoe, said the cartoon amounted to promoting hate speech.

The Sunday Times cartoon by Zapiro shows Zuma pulling down his pants while ANC, Cosatu, SACP and the ANCYL leaders hold down a woman depicting the justice system.

UDM leader Bantu Holomisa said the cartoon was in bad taste and unethical.

ACDP deputy president Joanne Downs said the cartoon "has gone too far".

Jane Duncan of the Freedom of Expression Institute said: "There is no incitement in this case. It is inferential rather than direct. This may protect Zapiro's right to freedom of expression rather than Zuma's right to dignity."