The Showerhead, provides a compelling exploration of the corruption that has seeped into South Africa’s government. Spanning 110 minutes, the insightful documentary centers on Jonathan Shapiro, better known as Zapiro, and his influential career as a political cartoonist.

The cartoon specifically targets former South African president Jacob Zuma, using the metaphor of a showerhead to symbolise Zuma’s controversial sexual assault case and broader political scandals. Zapiro’s new work revisits the emotions and controversies from Zuma’s presidency, offering a critical perspective on his string of misconduct.

When he was deputy president, Zuma had been leading the Moral Regeneration Movement and the National Aids Council yet caught up in a rape scandal.

Review

Josh (Guest) – I’m sure every South African is well acquainted with the work of the political cartoonist, Zapiro (Jonathan Shapiro). If not, The Showerhead provides a great overview of Zapiro’s career; beginning with his anti-Apartheid activism up to the ongoing Zuma case(s). Taking its title from the symbolic showerhead blooming from Jacob Zuma’s head in Zapiro’s cartoons, the documentary explores the complex shifting of South African politics over the years and the growth of Zapiro as a political critic who holds fewer punches over time.

The documentary highlights the particular role of satirists in society as watchdogs with greater liberty to criticise and jest, and the need to preserve this power in healthy democracies. The various perspectives expressed in the film were interesting and candid, simply told and inspiring in terms of the bravery required by journalists to safeguard freedom of critical expression. I was surprised by the breadth of the topics covered, but the documentary was well paced and engaging throughout – often displaying South Africans’ characteristic sense of humour in the face of darker social themes.

Foreknowledge of the country’s tumultuous history may help to fill in the gaps and nuances of the personalities and events described, but this wouldn’t obstruct the primary premise of the documentary, which could easily be a longer format production.

As Zuma’s cases continue to draw out, the release of The Showerhead will surely have an effect in laying out the progression of the charges while emphasising the necessity for provocative and intelligent artistry of the likes of Zapiro. 9/10

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