President Cyril Ramaphosa has labelled the DA campaign advert depicting a burning South African flag as “treasonous and despicable”.
“The flag of our country is a sacred article in the life of our country. It is that flag that unites all of us. It is despicable that a political party can as it seeks to express itself go and burn the symbol of our unity, the symbol of our existence as a nation,” said Ramaphosa.
He said it was “treasonous” and that anybody, particularly an organisation that does something like that for political expediency, should be ashamed because “it is the most despicable political act anyone can embark upon, particularly when they are campaigning for votes because you are voting now for a party that wants to destroy South Africa, that wants to destroy the symbol that unites all of us”.
Ramaphosa was speaking on the sidelines of a government event in Mokopane, Limpopo, where the department of home affairs was launching mobile office trucks.
Meanwhile, sport, arts and culture minister Zizi Kodwa is considering taking steps against the DA over its advertisement.
Kodwa said the ad was abhorrent and unpatriotic, and has instructed Dr Stella Khumalo, the acting director-general in his department, his advisers and the legal unit to urgently advise him on the recourse government can take when national symbols are denigrated and desecrated.
On Monday, Kodwa said “the desecration” of national symbols should not be part of election campaigning and should not be tolerated in any instance.
“We are taking steps to ensure that there are consequences for such actions. It is our duty to ensure the protection of our national symbols which are a product of our hard-earned democracy,” said Kodwa.
The DA's Helen Zille has strongly defended the advertising campaign.
According to Zille, chair of the DA federal council, the party picked the flag as the clearest symbol of the dream South Africans shared 30 years ago, at the dawn of democracy under then-president Nelson Mandela.
The flames show how his vision has been ravaged by 30 years of ANC rule.
Zille argued that the DA’s intention was to warn South Africans that its democratic institutions, as well as the economy, will burn to ash under a possible ANC/EFF/MK/PA coalition.
To convey “this stark truth” with the greatest possible impact in a 30-second television broadcast, the party conceived the burning flag.
“We picked the flag as the clearest symbol of the dream we shared 30 years ago, at the dawn of democracy under President Nelson Mandela. The flames show how his vision has been ravaged by 30 years of ANC rule. And we warn that under an ANC/EFF/MK/PA coalition, it will be obliterated entirely.
“The 30 seconds ends with our flag restored to its erstwhile glory with a call to action for every adult South African: ‘Rescue SA, vote DA!’”
Zille said this “powerful symbolism” elicited the predicted response.
She indicated the party would not stop using metaphors or symbolism in its communication just because it might cause offence or controversy.
“No! we want to go to war against those who are destroying the dream that once united our nation. We want to save our flag.
“Controversy helps drive our message,” she said. “We must confront voters with a stark choice: are you a burner or a builder? That is the issue in this election. Only DA has the guts, experience and track record to beat the burners.”
Treasonous & despicable, says Ramaphosa as 'DA burns national flag'
Helen Zille says 30-second advert ends with the flag restored to its former glory and call to ‘Rescue SA, vote DA’
Image: SINO MAJANGAZA
President Cyril Ramaphosa has labelled the DA campaign advert depicting a burning South African flag as “treasonous and despicable”.
“The flag of our country is a sacred article in the life of our country. It is that flag that unites all of us. It is despicable that a political party can as it seeks to express itself go and burn the symbol of our unity, the symbol of our existence as a nation,” said Ramaphosa.
He said it was “treasonous” and that anybody, particularly an organisation that does something like that for political expediency, should be ashamed because “it is the most despicable political act anyone can embark upon, particularly when they are campaigning for votes because you are voting now for a party that wants to destroy South Africa, that wants to destroy the symbol that unites all of us”.
Ramaphosa was speaking on the sidelines of a government event in Mokopane, Limpopo, where the department of home affairs was launching mobile office trucks.
Meanwhile, sport, arts and culture minister Zizi Kodwa is considering taking steps against the DA over its advertisement.
Kodwa said the ad was abhorrent and unpatriotic, and has instructed Dr Stella Khumalo, the acting director-general in his department, his advisers and the legal unit to urgently advise him on the recourse government can take when national symbols are denigrated and desecrated.
On Monday, Kodwa said “the desecration” of national symbols should not be part of election campaigning and should not be tolerated in any instance.
“We are taking steps to ensure that there are consequences for such actions. It is our duty to ensure the protection of our national symbols which are a product of our hard-earned democracy,” said Kodwa.
The DA's Helen Zille has strongly defended the advertising campaign.
According to Zille, chair of the DA federal council, the party picked the flag as the clearest symbol of the dream South Africans shared 30 years ago, at the dawn of democracy under then-president Nelson Mandela.
The flames show how his vision has been ravaged by 30 years of ANC rule.
Zille argued that the DA’s intention was to warn South Africans that its democratic institutions, as well as the economy, will burn to ash under a possible ANC/EFF/MK/PA coalition.
To convey “this stark truth” with the greatest possible impact in a 30-second television broadcast, the party conceived the burning flag.
“We picked the flag as the clearest symbol of the dream we shared 30 years ago, at the dawn of democracy under President Nelson Mandela. The flames show how his vision has been ravaged by 30 years of ANC rule. And we warn that under an ANC/EFF/MK/PA coalition, it will be obliterated entirely.
“The 30 seconds ends with our flag restored to its erstwhile glory with a call to action for every adult South African: ‘Rescue SA, vote DA!’”
Zille said this “powerful symbolism” elicited the predicted response.
She indicated the party would not stop using metaphors or symbolism in its communication just because it might cause offence or controversy.
“No! we want to go to war against those who are destroying the dream that once united our nation. We want to save our flag.
“Controversy helps drive our message,” she said. “We must confront voters with a stark choice: are you a burner or a builder? That is the issue in this election. Only DA has the guts, experience and track record to beat the burners.”
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