President Cyril Ramaphosa has instructed sports, arts and culture minister Nathi Mthethwa to scrap plans for a costly R22-million “monumental flag” that was to be built at Freedom Park in Pretoria.

The Freedom Park is in Salvokop and celebrates South Africa’s heritage, housing a museum and a memorial site.

Ramaphosa was addressing the annual Black Business Council summit dinner at the Gallagher convention centre in Midrand on Thursday, last week.

He said Mthethwa called him on a solution regarding the 100m flag project after the backlash received by citizens, unions and political parties.

“He [Mthethwa] called me and I told him I’m in a cabinet meeting. So I called him back and he says, ‘it seems our people are not happy with this flag thing, which is a wonderful initiative’.”

Ramaphosa said he told the minister that “of course, the nation was not happy with the project as it was too costly”.

“The cost was just too high. I told him to cancel this thing [flag project].

“We must shelve it and will see it once our economy is flying.”

He said the South African government listened to its people and did not ride roughshod over them.

Before Ramaphosa’s decision, Mthethwa said he instructed his department to review the monumental flag project.

“Over the past few days, I had taken note of public discourse that unfolded in respect of the envisaged monumental flag.

“The diversity of voices around this important heritage project is 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.”

Beauty Dlulane, the chairperson of the committee on sports, arts and culture, said it was important that the government was able to listen to the people and act accordingly.

“The committee was briefed on the concept on Tuesday, when the project was punted for its contribution in job creation and diversifying the South African heritage landscape; things which the committee noted.”

Dulane said the figures for the project were presented as estimations and the department had already undergone geotechnical studies that cost R1.7-million.

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The DA said it was not surprising that the cabinet had supported the multi-million rand giant flag idea.

“Just when you think the ANC government can’t go any lower, it comes up with fresh methods to demonstrate its ineptness and how out of touch it is with ordinary South Africans.”

The DA called on the cabinet to apologise to South Africa for the ill-conceived and wasteful giant flag plan.

“It’s disgusting that taxpayers’ money has already been squandered on a project that should never have been approved in the first place.”

Cosatu national spokesperson Sizwe Pamla said they also called on the government to scrap the “obscene and absurd” project.

Pamla said the “vanity project” was pointless and the idea that it would attract tourists was senseless.

“Many people around the world are being squeezed by the rising cost of living and they do not have the money to go around looking at flag monuments.

“South Africa has enough tourist attractions. It does not need another inept government department to waste millions of rands on a misguided project to attract tourists,” said Pamla.

Pamla said the Department of Sports, Arts and Culture also failed to pay thousands of struggling artists, musicians and sports professionals, who were unable to work during Covid-19 lockdown.

“This has left these workers struggling with their wages eroded and repealed by inflation.”

He said the flag was an insult to South Africans.