South Africa wants to make a really, really big flag – and turn it into a national landmark
President Cyril Ramaphosa’s cabinet has approved a feasibility study into the construction of a National Monumental Flag Project.
In a statement on Thursday (24 February), cabinet said the project will be led by the Department of Sports, Art and Culture as part of its mandate to promote nation-building and social cohesion.
“Monumental flags are installed by countries to express their identity and pride. Once constructed, it will become a national landmark (and) a tourist attraction site that will serve to display the country’s brand image,” it said.
It is expected that following construction, the giant flag will be hoisted at least 100 metres high.
While no further timeframe or costs around the planned project or feasibility study were given, several other countries have developed monumental flag projects in recent years which provide an idea of what to expect.
Mexico has several Banderas monumentales (monumental flags) installed across the country as part of a program started in 1999 under president Ernesto Zedillo. The biggest monumental flag in Mexico is the one located in the north-east city of Monterrey with a pole height of 100.6 metres and a flag measuring 50 by 28.6 metres.
South Africa’s national flag was designed by a former state herald, Fred Brownell, and was first used on 27 April 1994.
The design and colours are a synopsis of principal elements of the country’s flag history. Individual colours, or colour combinations represent different meanings for different people and therefore no universal symbolism should be attached to any of the colours, the government says.
The government has subsequently developed a set of specific instructions with regard to the use of the national flag and how it should be flown.
When the flag is displayed vertically against a wall, the red band should be to the left of the viewer with the hoist or the cord seam at the top.
When it is displayed horizontally, the hoist should be to the left of the viewer and the red band at the top. When the flag is displayed next to or behind the speaker at a meeting, it must be placed to the speaker’s right. When it is placed elsewhere in the meeting place, it should be to the right of the audience.
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