Political Cartoons and Censorship in the age of Internet

Political Cartoons and Dissipation of News

Cartoons are an outgrowth of caricature an art as ancient as human civilization (Keane 2008, 848) that relies on exaggeration of factual information and humor for expression. Political cartoons extend this form of information dissipation into political sphere. Through jest and humor, political cartoons have more latitude to attack established ideas and express opinions that journalist and statesmen/women cannot say. Through political cartoons we can therefore see both the level of media freedom in society and hear voice of dissent within the society (Keane 2008).

Political cartoons thrive under atmosphere of political and press freedom. As news medium, political cartoons can be a tool either of social protest or political persuasion (Keane 2008). They have a considerable impact on public opinions since they are more accessible than written text and are themselves more than just images, they are also figures of speech (Mbembe 1997, 152).  In political sphere, the ability of political cartoons personify what they represent creates a danger of politicians being publicly represented by their cartoon depiction (Baudrillard and Glaser 1994). Therefore, in absence of political and press freedom, political cartoonist are most likely to be censored

East African press is relatively free and privately owned (Karikari 2004). Since the fall of Berlin Wall and increased involvement of Western monetary institutions in the region, guaranteeing free press has been a key factor in securing foreign aid. Despite these incentives, the East African governments are known to have kept and enacted legislation to control and censor all forms of public communication (Tripp 2000, 209). Hence within this “free press” environment, there is a limit on what journalists and editors can say and write in media outlets. It is in this environment that political cartoonists Godfrey Mwampembwa alias Gado and Ali Masoud alias Kipanya come in and try to fill the information gap by raising question that politicians and conventional journalists are not raising.

Gado is based in Kenya while Kipanya is based in Tanzania and they both deal with local, regional and sometimes global issues. In Kipanya‘s works, issues are approached from the perspective of `unbiased’ observer or an average citizen who is at the receiving end of results of many political actions. The observer and the citizen are represented by the character of Kipanya. On the other hand, Gado‘s works portray the issues from the of a perspective of a photographer looking on a scene. This article looks at how these cartoonists look at issues of corruption and greedy political leaders within their countries.

Kikwete, Can you deal with this?

Figure 1: On the board: Good Governance, Kikwete: "Sorry, the Headmaster interrupted me, which topic were we on? Sulivan Summit or World Cup?", Kipanya: "Richmond funds and EPA teacher...."

In December 2007, Tanzanian government was hit by multiple corruption scandals involving millions of dollars and reaching the upper echelons of the state. High ranking official in Bank of Tanzania including the Governor of the Bank were implicated in misuse of funds out of the Bank’s External Payment Arrears Account (EPA). In response, the president fired the Central Bank Governor and some of his close associates (nchiume 2008). Around the same period, a number of high ranking government figures were implicated in an emergency energy supply contract. Four cabinet ministers including the minister of finance and the prime minister resigned, the president resolved the cabinet and created a new government(AFP 2008).

Figure 2: On the board: CORRUPTION, Is Zanzibar a country? Kipanya: "Teacher, Tell them Zanzibar is not just a country, it is a continent and they can have a reggae tune for nation anthem if they want! Please, let just get back to the Subject that is really troubling us!"

The cartoons in Figure 1  and Figure 2 were published around this period. In both cartoons it is a classroom setting with the Tanzanian president Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete as the teacher. The image of teacher brings to mind memories of Mwalimu Julius Kambarage Nyerere, professionally a teacher before he ventured into politics and the first president of Tanzania. Nyerere is remembered as the architect of the country as it is in the present. Nyerere was a true believer in socialism and never tolerated corruption. Compared to Nyerere, Kikwete appears hesitant to touch the issue of corruption even though it is the next important subject to be studied

The question these cartoons raise is whether Kikwete who had been perceived to be a visionary like Nyerere had what it takes to fight corruption among the ranks of his staff. What was public opinion but was not published or discussed in news papers was how much knowledge did Kikwete have on the corruption of his assistants. All individuals who lost ministerial posts remain in the parliament and this raises the question of how serious is the current government in pursuing and prosecuting the corrupt among its ranks.

Kenyan MPs and their salaries

Figure 3: MP spouse salary

One of the issues Gado questions regularly is corruption and excessive greedy of the politicians. One of the persistent controversial issue in the Kenyan politics for the last three years have been the salary of the country’s parliamentarians (Rice 2007; Teyie 2009). The salaries of the country’s parliamentarians are among the highest in the world and has regularly been increased while the economy of the country has mostly remained unchanged in the last three years.

Figure 4: Shortages

In mid 2008, there was a motion in the parliament for the state to give a salary to the spouse of the president and the vice-president. Cartoons in Figure 3 and Figure 4 were published around this period. In Figure 3 we have the parliament in session and proposing a motion for remuneration of spouses. The MPs in attendance have different faces with different implication. There is a blank face which Gado has used repeatedly to represent non-existent companies involved in various corruption scandals in the country (EastAfrican Team 2007). Also the face signifies the lack of transparency in government organs in the country, the parliament included. Then there is a hyena, pig and crocodile face. The use of animal faces might mean the inhumanity the institution displays when it acts without regard of the citizenry. Furthermore, hyenas and pigs represents greed and therefore portrays the institutions as full of greedy politicians. Finally, Figure 4 contrast the social and economic shortages in the country with moral shortfalls in public institutions. In this cartoon, Gado shows a suffering country and MPs with literally no brains. He therefore points out that the parliament has been acting as if it lacks human logic.

Too extreme for publication

Figure 5: Kipanya, rejected by editors

Looking the cartoons of the Tanzanian corruption scandal that were censored by the editors, it is hard to tell where the cartoonist crossed the line of the acceptable. In Figure 5, Kipanya portrays the various committees set up to investigate the corruption scandals as being in cohort with those they are investigating. They are both enriching themselves with the taxpayers money which is implied by their ascending toward Switzerland. In some way this refers back to whether Kikwete and his administration are willing to deal with corruption once and for all. Looking closely at the three images, you can discern a subtle difference which could explain why it was deemed too hot for publication.

First, the cartoons in Figure 1 and 2 raises questions of whether Kikwete will deal with the corruption scandals, rather state that he will ignore the scandal. Also, the issues he points out that he is concerned with at that moment–Zanzibar, and Sullivan Summit, are of significant economic and political importance to the country that they would deserve the attention of the president. However, in Figure 5, Kipanya accuses individuals–members of commission of investigation–directly for being corrupt as their peers under investigation. As this commission was appointed by the president, he also accuses him of still harboring corrupt associates in his government and therefore unable to deliver the promises of transparency pitched to the country during election.

Figure 6: Gado, rejected by editors

In Figure 6, a cartoon rejected in Kenya on the question of MP salaries, Gado compares the ridiculous increases in the salaries to a buffet. Each MP is seen filling their plates as much as they can. Up front, the Chief Justice who has already filled his plates admonishes the group for their greedy in serving themselves large amounts of food. In this cartoon, Gado points a finger directly to the Chief Justice as an unworthy arbiter in the matter of excessive salaries for parliamentarians as he is also taking an inflated salary that is considered to be beyond what Kenya can pay a public servant.

Conclusion

The work of political cartoonists are a good indication of limitations imposed on mass media. They easily reflect the public opinions and questions beyond those that can be addressed by columnists and mainstream media. Works of political cartoonists are therefore a good indicator of the level of press freedom enjoyed in any given country. For East Africa, especially in Kenya and Tanzania, the internet has added an extra option to how the cartoonists distribute their works. Both Gado and Kipanya maintain websites with archives of their works. Looking at their works rejected by editors, we get a better sense of the level of censorship for mass media. The rejected cartoons on Kenyan MP salaries and the Tanzanian corruption scandal seems to imply that no finger pointing should be done when addressing sensitive topics. Accusation can be made as long as they don’t target a specific individual or a group of individuals.

References:

• AFP. Tanzania PM tenders resignation.
  http://www.mg.co.za/article/2008-02-07-tanzania-pm-tenders-resignation, 2008.
• Jean Baudrillard and Sheila Faria Glaser. Simulacra and Simulation. University of
  Chicago Press, 1994.
• The EastAfrican Team. Kenya: KACC stopped from seeking true identity of
  ‘Anglo-Leasing’ firm. http://allafrica.com/stories/printable/200707310740.html,
  2007.
• K Karikari. Press Freedom in Africa. New Economy, 11(2):184 – 186, 2004.
• David Keane. Cartoon Violence and Freedom of Expression. Human Rights
  Quarterly, 30(4):845–875, 2008.
• Achille Mbembe. The ‘Things’ & its Double in Cameroonian Cartoons. In Karen
  Barber, editor, Readings in African Popular Culture, pages 151–162. The
  International African Institute, 1997.
• nchiume. Kikwete sacks his Central Bank Governor over Corruption.

  http://tzcommoncents.wordpress.com/2008/01/10/kikwete-sacks-his-central-

  bank-governor/, 2008.

• Xan Rice. Outrage as kenya’s MPs seek £45,000 payoffs.
  http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2007/jul/28/kenya.international, 2007.
• Andrew Teyie. Kenya: MPs pay reaches Sh1.4 million monthly.
  http://allafrica.com/stories/printable/200901220400.html, 2009.
• A Tripp. Political Reform in Tanzania: The struggle for associational autonomy.
  Comparative Politics, 32(2):191–214, 2000.