Last week Wednesday (10 November) South African artist William Kentridge received the Kyoto Prize for Arts and Philosophy. As I understand, this is like Japan’s version of the Nobel Prize. So its a pretty big deal I think. He is the first person from the African continent to win this award. I heard about it on TalkRadio702.
Then over the weekend I was randomly chatting to my mother, who is usually very clued up about the goings-on in the world, due to her reading all the newspapers she can find every day. She did not know about Kentridge winning the award. I then went and checked the Pretoria News (only newspaper I get) for Wednesday, Thursday last week, and indeed, the story is not there.
Isn’t it a bit strange that South African Newspapers did not think this story ‘news-worthy’? :-\
South African media is sensationalist and inward looking. Most South Africans wouldn’t have a clue what happens in the rest of the world. Blame the SABC and e-TV for not having international news during prime time. The majority of the country never gets to see or hear what is happening internationally.
With a useless and ignorant Minister for Arts and Culture like Lulu Xingwana who thinks pictures of lesbians are pornography, what else do you expect from the broader South African public?
The author Doris Lessing once said on the BBC, “South Africa is a paradise if you’re a sports fan. However, if you are an intellectual, it is stultifyingly boring.” Ne’er a truer word has been spoken.