Africa-Press – South-Africa. Despite the government’s multimillion-rand national flag project coming to a grinding halt, officials spent nearly R2 million on a feasibility study to confirm the project was viable.
In letters to Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Sports, Arts and Culture, the Auditor-General’s office confirmed that the tender processes were above board.
The committee chairperson, Beauty Nomvuzo Dlulane, wrote to the office of the AG in July requesting a presentation to the committee on the monumental flag matter.
“As discussed briefly on 5 September 2022, we are not in a position to make a detailed presentation but we have summarised the events,” the AG’s letter to Dlulane read.
R22 million flag project could still fly despite blistering presidential, public backlash
In May, Sport, Arts and Culture Minister Nathi Mthethwa came under fire for the project that was described as a waste of money and insensitive to the number of struggling artists in South Africa.
Following the uproar, President Cyril Ramaphosa told Mthethwa to cancel the controversial R22 million project.
Further to this, the AG confirmed the tender processes for a feasibility study was above board.
“During February 2020, the SAC advertised a bid with a closing date of 13 March 2020 for a service provider to conduct a feasibility study towards the development of the monumental flagpole. Subsequent to tender evaluation and bid adjudication processes, a service provider was appointed”,” the AG said
Explaining the matter, the AG added that the department’s annual performance plan indicated that it had embarked on a process to conceptualise, design and ultimately install a national monumental flag with a flagpole that would be more than 100 metres tall.
“It was further mentioned that a feasibility study was being undertaken and that its results would inform the brief for the monumental flag project. The project was envisaged to contribute towards nation building and social cohesion. The project was budgeted for under programme 4 (heritage promotion and preservation) at R20 million, with a planned start date of 2022 and a completion date of 2024,” the letter read.
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Regarding the construction of the flagpole, the AG said the Cabinet gave its approval earlier in the year.
“Based on our discussions with management, the monumental flag project was approved by Cabinet on 10 February 2022 after it had first been presented to the technical working group on 17 August 2021 and later to the social protection, community and human development cluster on 8 September 2021.
“When news of the project broke out in early May 2022, it attracted negative feedback. This resulted in the project eventually being cancelled and all operational activities regarding the development of the project being halted in accordance with the president’s pronouncement,” the letter read.
DA MP Tsepo Mhlongo submitted a petition signed by 32 000 South Africans opposing Mthethwa’s wasteful giant flag project.
This irked several ANC MPs given that the project had already been canned.
“This petition symbolises South Africa’s universal anger at a minister that refuses to engage with the ordinary people he is meant to serve. Minister Mthethwa’s statement that the flag would foster social cohesion was partly correct – rarely has South Africans been so single-minded in calling for the immediate cancellation of the ludicrous project,” Mhlongo said.
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