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Bullies? No way!

1 Jun 2012

NEWSWATCH: ANC spokesman Jackson Mthembu says that the party did not try to bully the Goodman Gallery during the recent spat over "The Spear", reports IOL. Meanwhile, Alexander Matthews, writing in Politicsweb says we must be able to criticise, question - and provoke, and Rapule Tabane, writing in Mail & Guardian says this country's leaders should not "pummel, pulverise and humiliate those with whom they differ or of whose behaviour they disapprove".

For more:

IOL: ANC did not intend to bully 'Spear' gallery... So ANC spokesman Jackson Mthembu says the ANC never meant to bully the Goodman Gallery (nor - is it safe to assume - City Press as well?) over "The Spear".
Marches, calls for boycotts, accusations of racism, court case, burning of newspapers... Well, a lot of people interpreted that as bullying - blatant bullying, in fact. So they are wrong, then?
Politicsweb: The Spear: SA won't overcome fear by surrendering to it... We emerged from a very sorry history of be governed by a party that assumed for itself the role of Chief Censor and the right to decide on our behalf what we could watch, what we could read, what we could say, what we could paint.
Some observers, watching the furore surrounding "The Spear", might wonder if there is not a very real danger that history will repeat itself - if we are not all very careful.
Mail & Guardian: Mantashe must sharpen his spear... Rapule Tabane felt "deep disappointment over our country's leadership" over the way in which "The Spear" issue was [mis]handled.
Tabane is not alone.