NEWSWATCH: Phil Molefe has been placed on special leave, reports City Press, and the ANCYL reckons it's because he gave too much airtime to Julius Malema, reports news24.com. Meanwhile, media watchers give their views on Zapiro's "penis" cartoon, and satire in general, and its readers have some very contrasting views on the cartoon, reports Mail & Guardian.
news24.com: ANCYL questions SABC's Molefe decision... It reckons the public broadcaster took the action because Molefe gave Julius Malema too much airtime, when he was no longer the political flavour of the month. Many people may feel the league is possibly right.
Mail & Guardian: Boundary issues: When should satirists just sit down? Hindsight is perfect vision and every area of human endeavour is replete with instances where someone has winced and said, "I wish I hadn't done that." So, did Zapiro go too far? Should Dawes have not published the cartoon? Many media watchers defended Zapiro, but even some of the cartoonist's fans did not like the cartoon. When does satire become bad taste? Are there limits? Pieter-Dirk Uys is reported as saying "Nothing is beyond satire." Your thoughts?