Art work by Kobus Myburgh, showing President Jacob Zuma and former president Nelson Mandela as white has been removed from an art exhibition scheduled to open at the Van Riebeek Hall in Nelspruit yesterday. The art work was created as part of the local municipality’s celebration of World Art Day.

Henrdrik Verwoerd, John Vorster, PW Botha and FW de Klerk were also in the painting with Jacob Zuman and Nelson Mandela, but they were depicted as being black.

Themba Mona, the council’s art and culture head, viewed the painting while inspecting the exhibition and immediately decided to have it removed as it was “not suitable” for public viewing.

According to Myburgh the painting had been created before the controversial Spear painting of 2012. Myburgh said:

It is by no means a protest piece. There is a positive message, to show that we are actually all alike. That’s why I called the painting Simunye — the Zulu word for ‘we are one’. We are and remain equal, regardless of the color of our skin.

Despite Myburgh’s disappointment that his painting had been removed from the exhibition, he respected the decision of the board as they had every right to deicide what should or should not be allowed in the exhibit.

It’s their gallery and they can decide what may be exhibited.

[Source: TimesLIVE]