Lot 9

Moral Leadership Club print by Zapiro prints Price Guide: R5,000

Jonathan Shapiro is a South African cartoonist, known as Zapiro, whose work appears in numerous South African publications and has been exhibited internationally on many occasions.

Cartoonist's note: In July 2010 the Arch announced that in three months’ time he would retire from public life. When Madiba had made a similar announcement 6 years earlier he had found it wasn’t that easy. In fact, Madiba had to try it more than once as his iconic status meant there was a clamour from all quarters for him to keep on going. At the time, I produced an annual titled Long Walk to Free Time, playing of course on the title of his famous autobiography. On the cover of the annual Madiba is seen trying to get to his armchair while being held back by an array of hands representing different sectors of society and this 2010 cartoon is a reprise of that theme, with Madiba now seated and the Arch in turn trying to get to his own chair. Another repeated theme for me as a cartoonist was the idea of Madiba and The Arch as a moral leadership duo. I had been portraying them in this role for many years.

zapiro@zapiro.com