Puppets for Democracy

The 1994 elections brought about the final end to the racist 'Apartheid' government in South Africa. President FW De Klerk made way for former political prisoner and soon-to-be president, Nelson Mandela.

Gary was initially asked to produce short puppet sketches to introduce the concepts of democracy and voter education to a largely illiterate television audience in South Africa. One of the characters was a prominent 'white Afrikaans' newsreader, who went out and interviewed all the politicians. He proved very popular and was officially hired to broadcast daily on the South African television service during the elections.

Clarence Keyter, a popular green-skinned bespectacled news reporter in his natty moustache, suit and purple bow-tie, captured the hearts of all the popular politicians, including president Nelson Mandela, outgoing president FW De Klerk, Roelf Meyer and Tokyo Sexwale.

A R T I C L E S click to see the full article "The upshot of TV's 'Election 94' has been the unthinkable - a wave of relief at the appearance of Clarence Keyter (the man who didn't describe Nelson Mandela's release from prison) - if only in puppet form. Clarence the puppet is always impish and impudent. Speaking to NP Constitutional Affairs supremo Roelf Meyer yesterday, Clarence even inquired about Roelf's hand in ANC chief negotiator Cyril Ramaphosa's fly. Clarence, it seems, had got wind of the two negotiators' trout fishing excursion." Darryl Accone, The Star, Johannesburg, 2 May 1994 click to see the full article 'Clarence is a hit among misses' "One endearing eccentricity is the SABC's use of a puppet as a political interviewer. Between the missed cues and chaotic hand-overs, there are frequent crossings to Clarence. A bad-tempered, blue-faced muppet with a purple bow-tie and an Afrikaans accent. A highlight was Clarence interviewing the Rev Al Sharpton, the corpulent New York minister and political activist. Sharpton, for the first time in his life, was stuck for words. He stared in bewilderment at Clarence. Finally, he saw the joke "I've been here since Saturday and you, Clarence, are the first person I've met that reminds me of an American politician." The Independent News Service click to see the full article