Even with apartheid gone racial sensitivities still run deep in South Africa. There is nothing like a provocative photo to trigger a reaction.

A political poster put out by the student wing of the Democratic Alliance - the main opposition party - is guaranteed to push a lot of buttons. It shows a studly white dude who looks as though he's fresh out of the shower in a loving embrace with a stripped down black woman. The accompanying tagline reads: "In OUR future, you wouldn't look twice."

So what's the big deal? A snapshot in time - sweet and personal - in which considerations of race take a backseat to togetherness. Ideally what the "rainbow nation" should be all about. Right? Not exactly. While most S. Africans like or are okay with the ad, others are less impressed.

Not long after the posters went up the media reaction kicked in. The story went viral on social networking sites in SA and became a talking point on radio and TV shows. The reactions of detractors ranged from accusations of racism to complaints about "pornography."

A statement by the ruling ANC party reflects their view that the Democratic Alliance is a white-controlled party with "token" blacks. It said the DA poster followed the “Irish coffee” principle of “sprinkling darkies on white foam.”

The ANC characterization of the Democratic Alliance is a bit harsh. The DA recently elected a black woman, Lindiwe Mazibuko, as leader of its parliamentary wing. Its predecessor - The Progressive Party in its various manifestations - included many well known anti-Apartheid activists such as Helen Suzman and Harry Schwarz.

On another level the ANC response is understandable. The couple represented in the poster is still a bit of a fantasy in a S. Africa marked by deep racial and socio-economic divides. The bulk of blacks live in crowded townships while whites mostly live in well-to-do suburban neighborhoods. It is this underlying reality that could understandably trigger a negative reaction to an image that some may see as out-of-touch.

A similar heated reaction greeted the story about a white South African actor, Carolyn Forword, who had problems kissing a black actor on-stage in the course of the Riverside Theatre Company's production of the Pied Piper of Hamelin. Race and the inequities associated with it still strike a deep chord in South Africa.

The DA says it is pleased with the wide ranging reaction to the poster. An insightful comment I read on the related Facebook page came from Jhandre Bredenkamp who said: "Well done in drawing reaction! Time for many people to stop and think: What does my reaction to this photo really say about me?"

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