This came days after The Spear, a controversial piece by Cape Town artist Brett Murray, was defaced in Johannesburg's Goodman Gallery and later removed. Murray's piece is also the subject of a court challenge by the ANC and the Film and Publications Board is seeking to classify it as obscene as it exposes the president's genitalia.
"We wanted to show the president trying to shield himself from the often unflattering scrutiny of the media, members of the public, artists and even some political allies, who are highly critical of his leadership," Waldimar Pelser, editor of
NewsNow, said. "The president is embarrassed and defensive and is challenging the artist's right to freedom of expression."
A copy of
NewsNow's portrayal of the president survived unscathed and will appear on the cover of
NewsNow issue 37, which is on sale digitally from Thursday 24 May and on news stands from Friday 25 May.
Watch a video of the defacing of the artwork here:
www.facebook.com/NewsNowMag.
More about NewsNow: NewsNow is South Africa's weekly news magazine. We tell you all you need to know each week about news, people, lifestyle and business in short, punchy stories. Also get a pick of the week's best cartoons, blogs, columns and pictures from South Africa and the rest of the world.
NewsNow is available widely in retail stores. Subscribe now for as little as R34 a month at
www.nn.co.za.
