Desecrating an SA moment: the Selborne College history lesson
A history lesson that went awry
When Sam Nzima shot his iconic photograph of the mortally wounded Hector Pieterson being carried by Mbuyisa Makhubo with Pieterson’s sister, Antoinette Sithole, at his side, he captured the horror of police repression during the June 1976 uprising. Fast forward 41 years to a school in a very different SA — one that has been a democracy for 23 years. At Selborne College, in the Eastern Cape, someone decided that Nzima’s image would make the perfect subject for a humorous poster bidding farewell to the class of 2017. Makhubo and Sithole’s heads were replaced with those of dogs, and Pieterson’s head was removed. The consequences of this schoolyard prank soon became clear, as an outpouring of shock followed. The school’s governing body issued a statement saying it apologised for the poster, which bore the title "Class of 2017 Selborne College", and for "any misunderstanding caused by the artwork". It quoted the poster’s unnamed artist, saying: "I was commissioned to do an artwork that e...
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