Ramaphosa Orders Nathi Mthethwa to Cancel R22m Flagpole After Massive Public Outcry, “We Listen”
- President Cyril Ramaphosa has ordered Arts and Culture Minister Nathi Mthethwa to pull the plug on the planned R22 million flagpole
- The president told the Black Business Council that the government listened to the people and cancelled the project
- Initially, Mthethwa had defended the project but later conceded that the cost was too high in the current economic climate
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PRETORIA - President Cyril Ramaphosa has ordered Arts and Culture Minister Nathi Mthethwa to pull the plug on the R22 million flagpole that was to be erected in Freedom Park in Pretoria.
The 100m flagpole received widespread criticism from the public when the cost of the project was revealed. Initially, Mthethwa had dug in his heels and defended the flagpole claiming that it would prompt social cohesion.
Source: UGC
However, Ramaphosa cancelled the project and told the Black Business Council Summit that the citizens were not happy with the project and that the government has learned to listen to the people.
The president said that Mthethwa had initially said that the project was a great initiative but conceded that the cost was too high and shelved the idea until the economy was in a better position to afford it according to SABC News.
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Briefly News asked South Africans what they thought about Ramaphosa's decision to cancel the flagpole project.
South Africa tells Mthetwa that R22m flagpole was a bad idea
Mthethwa faced the wrath of thousands of South Africans who were dead-set against the government spending over R22 million on a 100m flagpole.
IOL reported that the Arts and Culture Minister was fiercely criticised for his proposed flagpole project while the economy was struggling to recover from the pandemic and deal with the global economic situation caused by the war in Ukraine.
A waste of taxpayers’ money: EFF slams R22m national monumental flag project
Earlier, Briefly News reported that the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) are up in arms concerning the proposed project for the R22 million monumental flags project announced by the Department of Sports, Arts and Culture recently.
The political party has criticised the project as "a gross and wasteful intended expenditure".
Monumental flags are installed by countries to express their identity and pride. The initiative was initially announced in February 2022.
Once constructed, the flag will serve to display the country’s brand image, the department said.
“We call on [minister Nathi] Mthethwa to put the money he planned to use on his shameful flag project to good use and not insult our collective intelligence. The money can be used to develop local sports, invest in women’s football, or create long-lasting infrastructure for the creative industry, not this senseless attempt at social cohesion,” said the EFF as quoted on TimesLive.
Source: Briefly News
