Controversial R22-Million Flag Sparks Outrage Among South Africans
South Africans and local artists have once again been left with a sour taste in their mouths, frustrated with the government and the lack of proper leadership. The outrage comes after the Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture, Nathi Mthethwa, defended the proposal to erect the national flag at Freedom Park in Pretoria, which cost a staggering R22 million.
Since the pandemic hit South African shores and left the country at a nervous standstill in March 2020, the economy has been left crippled and the citizens devastated. People lost their lives and others their livelihoods. Children were left without parents, and parents without children. Artists haemorrhaged gigs and untold amounts of money when concerts got barred. Companies closed, and those that survived have been limping and struggling to get by to this day. However, the tragedy of COVID-19 and its after-effects seemed only to be felt by the general public, while government officials remained almost unaffected. It is no wonder so many have been left feeling as though their faces have been spat on by this latest development.
Nathi Mthethwa defended the R22-million flag, saying: “One of the mandates of this department is to transform the heritage landscape among others, build museums, build monuments.” However, citizens were not impressed. Artists, in particular, voiced discontent, noting the lack of financial support that has left struggling artists unable to recover due to the impact of COVID-induced lockdowns.
The controversial flag is also an eerie throwback of the Eastern Cape EMS scooter debacle in 2020, which saw an estimated R10 million splurged on scooters to transport COVID patients. The fiasco left many reeling; most felt the money was not spent properly and could’ve been used to construct a new hospital, a clinic, or even to pay healthcare workers.
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