Beyond The Humour: a Newspaper Cartoon as Socio-Politico-Economic Commentary: The Case of 'Wasu' of the Manica Post in Zimbabwe

The research looks at the role of a newspaper cartoon ('Wasu' of The Manica Post in Zimbabwe) in the socio-economic and political landscape of Zimbabwe. Up to one hundred cartoons were collected from the period 2004 to 2010 and from these a few were selected for thorough scrutiny. Besides analyzing the cartoons collected, the researchers also interviewed Blessing Mukuze, the cartoonist and creator of the cartoon character 'Wasu' to provide an illumination on the background of the persona. The analysis reveals that although cartoons are perceived by the ordinary reader as primarily meant to tickle them into laughter, on a more serious level they are meant to comment on goings-on in a particular society with the aim of a better and improved society.