The Citizen (KZN)

Flying flag of people’s choice

- Eric Naki

President Cyril Ramaphosa has been commended for swiftly stopping the controvers­ial multimilli­on-rand giant flag project initiated by Sport, Arts and Culture Minister Nathi Mthethwa.

Political analyst Prof Mazwe Majola, a specialist on governance, leadership and management, expressed shock at the whopping R22 million that the flag project was expected to cost if it went ahead.

He believed the president acted swiftly and should also move to deal with Public Enterprise­s Minister Pravin Gordhan over the continuous Eskom load shedding.

Ramaphosa told Mthethwa to cancel the project. The president also mentioned the issue during his presidenti­al imbizo in Mpumalanga yesterday.

He said the fact that the project was stopped showed the government listened to the people.

The 100m-tall national flag pole was to be erected at Freedom Park in Pretoria as a sign of reconcilia­tion and nation-building.

But the cost raised a huge outcry, with many people saying it was a waste of taxpayers’ money.

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