Zapiro cartoon - it's just not cricket

(Image: Hamedog, via Wikimedia Commons)

For more:

• news24: Zapiro cartoon outrage concerns FXI... The Freedom of Expression Institute (FXI) is concerned at the outrage a Zapiro cartoon has triggered and says that, "The importance of artistic expression is the provocation and facilitation of crucial debate that is often ignored or 'brushed under the table'."

• Mail & Guardian: Sunday Times: Zapiro cartoon was not disrespectful... In turn, Sunday Times editor Phylicia Oppelt says the cartoon is not disrespectful - and that is unlikely to cool the fires since a number of Hindus are very upset.

• Mail & Guardian: Alcohol ad ban will be bad for sport, MPs told... Reports have it that cabinet itself is not united on the issue, with the sports department holding a different view to that held by our minister of health Aaron Motsoaledi who is on a mission to achieve a total ban. Of course, only recently our MPs decided to spend a few million on stocking the giggle-water cellar in Parliament and when you check out the odd celebration or two, our happy law-makers (and breakers) are not usually knocking back good old H2O... well some are, but it's probably laced with some good old Blue Label or similar.

  So will the absence of advertising depicting alcohol lead to any of them giving up their odd tipple? Will the absence of alcohol advertising see the next batch of MPs leaving the wines and spirits untouched at functions? Nope, we didn't think so either.

  No one in their right mind supports alcohol abuse, but in the opinion of many, banning the advertising of alcohol will do little if anything to curb abuse.

  But sport - known to be a great national unifier and builder - will lose out massively.

  In passing, another entity that could see a dent in its finances is the SABC. It's not exactly healthy cash-wise as it is, and even allowing for the fact that it can ask for - and possibly (read probably) get - bail-outs in the millions and billions, courtesy our hard-earned tax monies, a ban on alcohol advertising will hit them where it hurts.

• Mail & Guardian: Independent appoints Karima Brown as executive editor... Independent Newspapers chief executive Tony Howard has confirmed that Karima Brown has been appointed group executive editor of Independent Newspapers and will take up her post on 1 December.