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EXCLUSIVE: Zapiro 'really sad' as Sunday Times contract comes to an end

Johannesburg – Well-known cartoonist Jonathan "Zapiro" Shapiro's contract with the Sunday Times has been terminated and his long stint at the newspaper is coming to an end soon.

Zapiro, whose cartoons about Lady Justice and former president Jacob Zuma garnered controversy, worked for the Sunday Times for two decades.

He said the termination of his contract with the newspaper was something he wasn't familiar with.

"This is a bit of a shock… It's not as if I'm of the belief that anyone is entitled to a position for life, but this came as a shock," he said.

"What I think is important to me is that I’ve always had a really fantastic response from readers, editors and the people I worked with in the newsroom."

Zapiro said his contract with the Sunday Times had been renegotiated a year ago and that he was told the company was following "a new model of exclusivity".

Although he renegotiated a new contract, Zapiro said he was of the belief that the company found issues with the work he had done with the Daily Maverick.

Sunday Times editor Bongani Siqoko did not want to comment further on the matter. He said the company did not discuss internal employee issues outside of the business.

"It is a matter between an employee and the company and we don't feel comfortable discussing matters of employees' contracts with the company," Siqoko said.

Zapiro, however, said his understanding of the situation was different.

"I'm not going to dispute their version because I don't know what's happening behind closed doors."

"I don't really understand it in the same way [as them]. All I know is that the whole thing started when they heard I was going to do cartoons for the Daily Maverick."

Zapiro said he was extremely happy to continue working with the Daily Maverick and "thrilled to be there at this incredibly historic time".

"I’m fine but I am sad as well. I’m really sad [about leaving the Sunday Times]. This is a first for me," he said.

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