Pretoria – The new Democratic Alliance election campaign advert in which the SA flag is set alight has raised the ire of the Sport, Arts and Culture, Minister Goodenough Zizi Kodwa
In a strongly worded statement Minister Kodwa, on Monday said he “condemns in the strongest terms the political advertisement by the DA which shows the burning of the South African flag”.
Minister Kodwa said: “On a night in which we celebrated 30 years of sporting excellence at the South African Sport Awards, with athletes who have raised our flag high, the DA decided to offend and insult the nation by showing a political advertisement depicting the burning of our national flag.”
Minister Kodwa added: “The South African flag represents our nationhood. It represents the coming together of our people.
“The South African flag symbolises unity in our diversity and represents the hopes and aspirations of our nation.
“As custodian of all national symbols, which include the South African flag, I strongly condemn the Democratic Alliance advertisement which depicts the burning of the South African flag.”
Minister Kodwa said the DA’s action offends the gains South Africa has made as a free and non-racial democracy, especially considering the blood, tears, and sacrifices it took for the country to gain freedom.
“It offends all South Africans who proudly raise our country’s flag sky high and appreciate its representation as the flag of a free, democratic, and non-racial nation,” said Minister Kodwa.
“I shudder to think what other South African compatriots such as Helen Suzman, Zack de Beer, and Van Zyl Slabbert would say about this act of desperation and recklessness demonstrated by the current ahistorical and unpatriotic leaders of DA.”
Minister Kodwa further states: “The South African flag will not be used as an instrument to sow division and hysteria in our nation”.
He said in the 30 years of South African democracy and freedom, “it has been evident time and time again that our flag is a unifier and an integral component in the building our nation”.
The minister added: “Those who choose to use our flag to divide us will not succeed.”
The DA said its depiction of the burning flag was what they expected to happen to South Africa if voters failed to cast their ballots in its favour on 29 May 2024.
Former public protector Thuli Madonsela said while she understood what the DA sought to communicate to South Africans, it could have used other symbols.
