Planned R22 million giant flag proves SA government is out of touch with reality, say experts

The controversial R22.5 million flag monument has, according to experts, officially proven the SA government was “out of touch with reality”, as Sport, Arts and Culture Minister Nathi Mthethwa backtracked under the weight of public pressure and called for a review of the project.

In a country crippled by corruption, unemployment, poor infrastructure and load shedding, among others, the government’s plan to spend more than R22 million on a giant flag has been labelled ridiculous, unnecessary and tone-deaf to the crises in South Africa.

Strategic communications expert Sarah Britten said, following the public outrage on the R50 million donation to Cuba, it was “just bizarre” the government had once more become tone-deaf to the real issues SA was facing.

“I would love to have been a fly on the wall when they approved this. The elephant in the room right now; what were they thinking? Did they really think it would go down well?” she asked.

“I think it speaks to how out of touch they are on the reality of the country. I mean are they not paying attention to the national mood?”

Britten said the government’s efforts to look to meaningless cosmetic activities which do not actually make people’s lives better in any way to address fundamental problems in the country, was yet another slap across the face of South Africans.

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“This shows a consistent pattern of our government of trying to go for easy wins to do things which don’t require much effort and soul searching.”

Political economy analyst Daniel Silke said while Mthethwa, together with President Cyril Ramaphosa, should be embarrassed, Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana should be the most embarrassed following his budget speech earlier this year.

“This is an embarrassment for the minister of finance who has gone out of his way to talk about cost cutting and being prudent and understanding the limitations of state expenditure,” he said.

“And it really shows how poor decision making and the wastage of tax payers’ money can be so easily pushed through state departments if this had gone ahead.”

Silke said it has been reported Cabinet approved the flag project without any determination on the cost, which was a gross miscalculation by the minister.

“It really shows there is a failure of checks and balances within the broader executive, financial control level or even at a political level to put a stop to this kind of unnecessary and excessive expenditure.”

The SA Guild of Actors chair Jack Devnarain said government had failed to have some kind of intervention for SA artists even though many lost their jobs due to Covid, however presented a flag which was meant to unite the country.

“It seems quite clear to us; they do not understand the unique needs and challenges of working as a freelancer in the creative industry,” he said.

“It seemed this decision was taken without taking into account the need for that kind of funding which could have benefited that particular department he (Mthethwa) is representing.”

Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa) CEO Wayne Duvenage said the project has sent a clear message government was out of touch with its people, and not a citizen-centric government.

“When we’ve got so many issues, we’re broke as a country, to be wasting any money anywhere, and spending it on projects which do not move the country forward meaningfully is just a waste of money,” he told The Citizen.

“Even in his department the money could have gone a long way in helping, empowering and uplifting artists in the country.”