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R22.5 MILLION FOR A BIIIIG FLAG

The Minister for Sport, Arts and Culture, Nathi ‘where’s my thesaurus’ Mthethwa (aka the Minister of congratulations and condolences) will be spending R22.5 million on a 10mx15m South African flag that will sit atop a 120m high flagpole. That’s R22.5 million (MILLION!) for a flag and a pole, because and let’s quote Nathi here: “The National flag is one of the primary symbols that are markers of the country’s national sovereignty and are collectively used as a rallying point for national unity, social cohesion and national pride.” Mthethwa added in his ‘Budget Vote Speech’ to parliament this week some more gumpf about “a symbol of democracy,” and “brand image of the country,” but really, is there not a better way to spend R22.5 million in sport, art or culture in this country?

BUDGIE FLAG SMUGGLERS

In that same speech, which ran to nine pages, Mthethwa praises the efforts of actor Thuso Mbedu and DJ Black Coffee for awards they won in the United States this year. Just there, is an example of an area where R22.5 million may have been spent. For heaven’s sake the Springboks did more for the national flag than R22.5 million will ever do, by wearing the flag as underpants in the 2019 World Cup final.

NATHI AND AFRIFORUM

Understandably there was criticism from opposition parties, people in the sport, arts and culture fraternities and just ordinary citizens about this stupid spending. Nathi isn’t having it however. He said if flags weren’t important then Afriforum wouldn’t be fighting a court case to fly the old SA flag. Firstly, no one said it wasn’t important just that spending R22.5 million on a flag when there are so many other areas in sport, the arts and on the cultural front that need money, made the amount ridiculous. Secondly, Afriforum is not an organisation you cite when trying to justify spending that kind of money. That organisation tried justifying their position by pointing to the use of the old flag on the cover of social commentator Sizwe Mpofu Walsh’s ‘New Apartheid’. For Mthethwa to use that court case to justify spending R22.5 million on a giant flag is foolish in the extreme.

‘MONUMENTAL’ WASTE OF MONEY

Finally on this, the name for the project, for which they did a feasibility study ‘South African National Monumental Flag’. It’s certainly a monumental waste of money.

HOW ABOUT SAFA NATHI?

Cricket South Africa, following all its administrative troubles, must be looking at the SA Football Association and Mthethwa and wondering how the Minister hasn’t stepped in or even commented about the messy state of affairs in that organisation. Safa is supposed to hold its “elective congress” next month, but according to the policy in the organisation, those wishing to stand for election cannot campaign until 14 days before the conference. Which is weird, because there’s 63 members who vote and it will be difficult to get all of them in just two weeks. Also Safa has had the same people at the top of the leadership structure for a very long time, if there is a sports organisation in need of personnel changes, then Safa is it. As former Bafana coach Ephraim ‘Shakes’ Mashaba, who is publicly supporting Ria Ledwaba to be elected president, said: “It’s not that we hate some people. No, it is because we have stagnated as a football nation, and we are not progressing.”