Bok Bev*k

APARTHEID SOUTH AFRICA'S FINAL ELECTION was called 3 years early by recently elected head of the ruling National Party, FW de Klerk (in the process of ousting President PW Botha) to gauge support for reforms towards a democracy.

Andries Treurnicht's Conservative Party lived up to their "official opposition" status by opposing the reforms. The Springbok rugby side had just suffered a defeat to a sanctions busting "World XV" team. Weyni Deysel's cartoon has Treurnicht reassuring the battered team mascot that "if the CP (symbolised by the tortoise) wins the election, the Springboks won't have to play test rugby ever again!" - due to the sanctions that would undoubtedly be imposed properly.

Fortunately, the Nats won the election (although they lost many seats to the CP), and were able to use that victory to advance South Africa towards a democracy... and the Springboks would eventually go on to become world rugby champs!

Deysel's cartoon brilliantly acknowledges the great dichotomy of conservative white South Africans of the time: Should they hold on to apartheid and miss out on future international rugby fixtures, or take a chance with democracy?