Len Sak’s cartoons 1990 - 1994
The period between 1990 and 1994, starting with the 2 February announcement in Parliament by President De Klerk, and ending with the inauguration of Nelson Mandela as president of a democratic South Africa was a watershed time in South Africa’s history. It was characterised by optimism, uncertainty, faith, mistrust, and violence.
The negotiation process was difficult and tricky with many competing demands and seemingly irreconcilable differences, and besides the two main protagonists, the ANC and the NP government, there were many other parties that had to be accommodated from across the range of political spectrum. In addition during this period thousands were injured and many died in acts of political attrition, which led to the establishment of the Goldstone Commission.
Finally agreement was reached between the various parties, and elections for all South Africans 18 years or older were held on 27 April 1994.
Len Sak, during this period worked as a cartoonist for the Sowetan, a South African daily (Mon-Fri) newspaper read mainly by black South Africans. In this period Len contributed 3 cartoons each day: an editorial cartoon, a letters page and the comic character "Jojo".
These cartoons were very topical, and captured the events as they unfolded. There are hundreds of cartoons, and not all could be accommodated in this online exhibition. A selection of some 70 cartoons was made to represent the period and the work of Len.
The dates in this exhibition are of the event, and not necessarily the date in which the cartoon appeared in the Sowetan.
