SAVE ZANEWS - BUY A POLITICIAN (Strings Attached)

by JOHN CURTIS

Thierry Cassuto and Zapiro, the producers of ZANEWS are hoping that an appeal to the public for donations will ensure the resurrection of their latex puppets and the launch of the fourth season of the popular satire.

A target of US$150 000 has been set by an innovative crowdfunding initiative in which supporters can buy privileges such as facetime with the puppets and their masters, Zapiro signed prints of the character design sketches, Desmond Tutu's voice (as a ringtone) summonsing you to answer, or Nelson Mandela's voice calling you to thank you for your contribution. Big spenders can purchase a Co-Executive Producer title on the show and a unique hand-painted Trophy Head of their favourite ZANEWS politician, while a mere $20 buys a "Bloody Agent" card to certify one's counter-revolutionary status. For the Guptas, there are political puppets to be bought and fill your pockets with. And yes, Kenny, for the right donation you'd be allowed to snort sushi off the latexed face of Helen Zille, if that's what you'd like to do.

Modelled on the English and French shows "Spitting Image" and "Les Guignols", ZANEWS has brought much needed comic relief to the embattled South African political landscape, and has fast established a cult status of its own. Yet, in spite of an audience claimed to be in the millions, and awards including Financial Mail's "Newsmaker of the Year", Best SA Video Blog, a PRISM Award and a Handspring Puppet Theatre Company Best Design Award, the show has not been taken up by any of South Africa's TV broadcasters.

With the assistance of sponsors Kalula.com and the Mail & Guardian the producers took the show online, delivering it to the world and a diaspora of appreciative South Africans. Sadly, the poor economic climate has a way of knocking the sense of humour out of such sponsors, and so the show finds itself needing funding assistance once more.

Executive producer Thierry Cassuto has invited the show's many fans to visit the IndieGoGo website to check out how they can score while helping to keep this great show going. A photo opportunity with Madiba? No prob! A cuddle with Charlize? It can be arranged. A sensible conversation with Juju? Wellll, there are limitations to what even these magicians can do!

Please share this story on facebook, Twitter and by e-mail to ensure that others can help to keep ZANEWS going. ZANEWS is an important ingredient in the rich mix of South African satire that will ensure - as satire ensured during the apartheid times - that no matter how bad things may seem, there will allways be a way to see the funny side and laugh.

Posted on Apr 05, 2011 by Africartoons