A. This week in Port Elizabeth we had thousands of residents out on the streets of Walmer, burning tyres and causing all sorts of mayhem whilst our wonderful Municipal Communications department only put out four press releases that succeeded in very carefully avoiding talking about the Elephant in the Room – surely SOME good spin could have been put on the protests, Roland, Kupido, Luncedo:
- NMBM the first municipality in South Africa to implement Self Help Library
- Korsten Traffic Department Traffic and Licensing Services still affected
- Self Service Libraries in Nelson Mandela Bay
- The 4th one was an invite to Uitenhage for the take a girl child to work initiative
B. What is is with corporates who deny their employees access to Facebook and other social media only to open a window of access for a short while so that they can send all their employees to LIKE a Facebook page or initiative?
I think that all companies with a Facebook page should immediately start with a negative like number equal to the number of employees working at said company.
C. Why did the artistic photoshopped image of a ‘naked’ Helen Zille not get the DA marching on Facebook and demanding that it be removed? Some of the local members could benefit from a bit of exercise.
Come on Film and Publication Board you had better also classify the image of Helen as 16N – you have done so for your present Baas and, who knows, maybe Helen will be your next?
Come on Helen is that really your head?
Alan Straton
Latest posts by Alan Straton (see all)
- Josh Maraney Launches a Free, Searchable Library of More Than 700 Short-Form Videos - 24 July 2026
- FirstRand Volunteers Mobilised 2,500 Employees Nationwide to Honour Mandela’s Legacy Through Action - 23 July 2026
- Vital Questions to Ask an AV Client Needing Web Site Development - 22 July 2026
- Canon EOS Mirrorless Cameras – Which One Should I Choose? - 22 July 2026
- Why Is Month-End Still a Fire Drill? - 22 July 2026
I cannot believe that that image of Zille was published – it is a disgrace. Where is the respect for her? I think I am going to go and stone parliament in protest.
The image of Zille will not stick around for too long. The difference is in the maturity with which things are handled. Zille commented on Twitter, that the pic was photo shopped and she spends many hours in the gym, so her body does not look like that. She did not take the pic seriously or to heart – politics!
The Film and Publication Board has now placed an age restriction on “The Spear” – you have to be over 16 years old to see it. Seriously – can anything be more ridiculous?? How can you age restrict art? What about the following artworks then: Venus di Milo, nude descending the stairs, massacre of the innocents, Adam and Eve, the birth of Venus, David, the thinker, Danae, the creation of Adam (actually most of the Sistine Chapel ceiling), death of Marat I, the dance – just a few off the top of my head, but there are thousands more. Are we going to age restrict these pictures as well? Or just the ones were you can see male genitale – sexist much? Or just the ones were you can see the president’s genitals – discriminate much?
I find myself curiously inflamed at the BuaNews press release around the Murray portrait being given a 16N rating:
If a cartoon willie can be deemed NUDITY then you guys are seriously out of step with actual nudity!
Whilst you guys are wasting serious money on pursuing all the web sites that do show an artists’ rendering of our president’s lunch box please do the whole world a favour and close down every single porn site as well.
Better yet – Stop the pipes that bring the filth into our country, lets go back to being a walled country with state controlled access to everything of an ‘adult nature’!
The full BuaNews press release follows:
The Film and Publication Board (FPB) has given the portrait by Brett Murray, which depicted President Jacob Zuma in a denigrating manner, a 16N rating.
This announcement was made on Friday by FPB Council Chairperson, Thoko Mpumlwana. The rating means that persons under the age of 16 should not have access to the painting because it shows nudity.
The 1.85m-high painting, titled The Spear, was part of Murray’s Hail to the Thief II exhibition. It sparked national debate about the balance of constitutional rights to human dignity and freedom of artistic expression.
In making its decision, said Mpumlwana, the Classification Committee that was mandated with classifying this particular piece, considered provisions of the Constitution of the Republic, the Films and Publications Act and the classification guidelines that are used in the classification of content.
“The Film and Publication Board therefore presents that a classification rating of ’16N’ has been decided upon by the Classification Committee for the artwork by Brett Murray titled ‘The Spear’ in its uncensored form.
“This classification is legally restrictive and dictates that persons below the age of 16 may not be exposed to this artwork. Secondly, ‘N’ represents nudity and is an advice impressed upon sensitive adult viewers who may make the choice to avoid exposure to nudity as content,” said Mpumlwana.
While the painting has been defaced and removed from the Goodman Gallery where it was exhibited, said Mpumlwana, the FPB felt it necessary to continue with the classification of The Spear despite these developments.
She added that any persons or entities wishing to publish and exhibit images and/or replicas of this specific painting will in future have to put in place mechanisms to regulate access to the painting by members of the public below the age of 16.
Exhibitors would also be advised to be cognizant of both the manifest and latent reactions that this specific content has drawn, she added.
“Indeed the painting has gone viral and may be difficult to police and contain; however, that does not mean we must fold our hands and allow for further exposure of children and sensitive viewers who have not yet been exposed.”
The FPB will engage its local and international partners, including the Internet Service Providers Association (ISPA), Wireless Application Service Providers Association (WASPA), Press Ombudsman and search engines, among others, in seeking avenues to enforce this decision.
“As the Film and Publication Board, we have applied our minds and legislation to the best of our ability in coming to the above decision. We are confident that all requirements and principles as spelt out in the Film and Publications Act and the Constitution of the Republic have been considered and applied alongside the Classification Guidelines,” she said.
She added that should the affected parties be dissatisfied with this decision, they have the right to appeal to the Appeals Tribunal of the FPB within 30 days from today, in line with the provisions of the Film and Publications Act. – BuaNews
Stay cool broer. Humans were born naked and now want to dress up. Silly things these humans do. I will join you at parlamunt.