'Did he do as told?' — Robert Marawa questions whether Mthethwa will scrap R22m project

20 May 2022 - 12:50
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Robert Marawa is opposed to the R22m 'monumental' flag project.
Robert Marawa is opposed to the R22m 'monumental' flag project.
Image: Instagram/ Robert Marawa

Veteran broadcaster Robert Marawa has questioned whether sports, arts and culture minister Nathi Mthethwa will take President Cyril Ramaphosa's advice to scrap the controversial R22m “monumental” flag project.

Marawa was responding to Ramaphosa's remarks at the Black Business Council summit in Midrand on Thursday. Ramaphosa told delegates he had told the minister to cancel the project.

“Mthethwa comes to me and says, ‘President, please tell me when I can call you’. I say, ‘Mthethwa I am in a cabinet committee meeting, we will talk afterwards’.

“I call him back and he says to me, ‘President this flag thing, which is such a wonderful initiative, it seems our people are not happy with it’, and I say, ‘Of course they are not happy with it. Cancel this thing.’”

Marawa asked if Mthethwa did as he was told.

He also reacted to a user suggesting leaders found the debacle amusing,

The ministry announced on Thursday that Mthethwa had asked for the project to be reviewed. 

“Over the past few days the minister of sport, arts and culture has followed and taken note of public discourse that has unfolded in respect of the envisaged monumental flag.

“The diversity of voices around this important heritage project are a welcome celebration of our country’s vibrant constitutional democracy and the freedoms that must be upheld beyond posterity. It also bodes well for one of the pillars of social cohesion, which is an active citizenry.

“In upholding these ethos and the inalienable rights of citizens to be heard, the minister of sport, arts and culture has directed his department to review the process related to the monumental flag in its totality,” the ministry said.

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