DA’s burning of SA Flag causes public outrage and receives a condemnation

The election campaign advertisement by the official opposition party Democratic Alliance (DA), which depicts the burning of the South African flag, has been criticized for being offensive and disturbing.

The embattled DA is receiving backlash over its election TV advert of a South African flag burning ahead of the elections.

Their new campaign advert shows the South African flag burning with a warning about ANC, EFF and
Zuma Coalition.

Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture, Zizi Kodwa has in strongest terms condemned the advert.

“On a night in which we celebrated 30 years of Sporting excellence at the South African Sports Awards, with athletes who have raised our flag high, the DA decided to offend and insult the nation by showing a political advertisement depicting the burning of our national flag,” Kodwa said.

Kodwa continued to say that, the action of burning the flag by the DA offends the gain South Africa has made as a free and non racial democracy, and the blood, tears, sacrifices it took for the country to gain freedom.

Thuli Madonsela also condemned the advert.

“The burning of our flag is ill advised. Seems to show disloyalty to the flag, which to many of us is more than a flag but a symbol of triumph against apartheid, ” Madonsela wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

The burning of our flag is ill advised.💔💔💔💔💔Seems to show disrespect and disloyalty to the flag, which to many of us is more than a flag but a symbol of triumph against apartheid, In some countries it’s even a crime to burn the flag🇿🇦

— Prof Thuli Madonsela #KindnessBuilds (@ThuliMadonsela3) May 5, 2024

In response, the party defended their advert: “Whilst this advert shows the burning of our nation’s beloved flag, the reconstruction of the flag afterwards represents that it is possible to rescue South Africa and turn this situation around if we make the right choice.

The burning of our flag is ill advised.💔💔💔💔💔Seems to show disrespect and disloyalty to the flag, which to many of us is more than a flag but a symbol of triumph against apartheid, In some countries it’s even a crime to burn the flag🇿🇦

— Prof Thuli Madonsela #KindnessBuilds (@ThuliMadonsela3) May 5, 2024