R22 million flag: Media blamed for backlash around project

The hotly contested R22 million flag project is currently being debated before Parliament’s portfolio committee on Sport, Arts and Culture.

The DA’s Tsepo Mhlongo presented a petition of 31 000 signatures from citizens who are against the project.

In trying to defend the monumental flag, Sport, Arts and Culture Director General, Vusithemba Ndima, said a feasibility study had been conducted, and its findings were presented to cabinet before the project had been approved.

Here’s what the flag project numbers look like:

According to Ndima, the cost estimates indicated a minimum capital expenditure of approximately R18 500 000 to R19 300 000; given that an extremely low amount of additional infrastructure was required at the Freedom Park site.

The minimum and maximum capital expenditure only increased as additional infrastructure such as parking, roads, restaurants, and site rehabilitation, were added to the scope.

Media negatively influenced public opinion

“The backlash only began after it was publicised, and it was the media who reacted negatively, influencing public opinion,” said Ndima.

Amid the backlash, President Cyril Ramaphosa advised the project be canned.

“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,’” Ramaphosa said back in May.

DA insists R5 million has already been spent

Mhlongo is calling for an investigation into the cancelled project, saying that R5 million has already been spent on the feasibility study.

The department confirmed that the project has been halted. So far, the committee has rejected calls for the R5 million already spent to be investigated.

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