Nationalism and patriotism are cornerstones that provide a vital link between the public and the government, reminding us that we are all "under one flag". Monumental flags are installed by countries to express their identity and pride. However, the cost and purpose of these symbols have sparked debate, especially when weighed against pressing social needs.
Flag of South Africa
The Tallest Flying Flag in the Eastern Cape
The tallest existing flag in South Africa is situated in Gqeberha, Eastern Cape. This flag flies 60 meters high on a hill overlooking the Indian Ocean. SA's tallest flying flag in the Eastern Cape costs about R200,000 a year to maintain. The flag measuring 12x8 metres is part of a project undertaken by the Mandela Bay Development Agency to commemorate the 67 years former President Nelson Mandela spent in politics.
Mandela Bay Development Agency spokesperson Luvuyo Bangazi said maintenance of the 60m flagpole at Donkin Reserve was minimal except at times when the motor was under strain due to notoriously high winds in Gqeberha. The maintenance costs include major repairs. “Often the flag is down due to tears, but we fix them quickly,” he said.
The estimated cost of the flag and flagpole at the time of construction in 2009 was just under R2m. The pre-2010 World Cup project was to create tourism assets to leverage and build on. “It worked. Many teams, visitors, TV shows and so on went up the Donkin during 2009/2010 before selfie frames were popular,” Bangazi said.
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The Donkin Reserve Flag: A Symbol of Democracy
Bangazi explained the flag was part of a larger environmental upgrade to Route 67. Along the route you will find a collection of quotes, sculptures and artworks, each giving a creative expression for each of those years. The culmination and highlight are where the colonial past meets a democratic state.
“Side by side they present what is possible in a new dispensation. Though the throngs of UK and other European tourists come to visit the Donkin, they walk away with memories of the Donkin flag and an experience of Route 67 with a sculpture of Madiba standing under the flag,” he said.
According to Nelson Mandela Bay Tourism, the flag was hoisted for the first time during a regal ceremony facilitated by members of the army at the Donkin Reserve in the winter of 2010, attended by then Nelson Mandela Bay deputy mayor Nancy Sihlwayi. The flag is hoisted daily at the reserve and residents are encouraged to go and view it.
Asked why it cost so much to maintain the flag in Gqeberha, Mandela Bay Development Agency spokesperson Luvuyo Bangazi said the flag system consists of a motor that pulls the flag up 60 metres. The flag alone is the size of a tennis court, said Bangazi before adding:
You can imagine, this flag is not hoisted by hand, the motor requires maintenance, software updates and occasionally the flags tear due to PE winds and must be sewn. He said the R200 000 were costs associated with the entire flag system.
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Bangazi said costs for the flag project rose to the region of R2 million because the landscaping wasn't just for the flag station, but the precinct.
SA's largest flag can be seen in the background at Donkin Reserve. Getty Images Brian Witbooi/The Herald/Gallo Images/Getty Images
All About The South African Flag
The Controversial "Monumental" Flag Project
Flags became a heated topic of conversation after it was revealed that sport, arts and culture minister Nathi Mthethwa planned to spend R22m on a 100m-high “monumental” flag. This week, Arts and Culture Minister Nathi Mthethwa made a ham-fisted attempt to explain why government was at that stage going ahead with plans to build a 100-metre flag at a cost of R22 million.
It was due to be constructed at Freedom Park in Pretoria and was going to be the tallest in country. News of the plan was met with anger and bemusement as citizens questioned the cost of the project and the need for a flag when the government's coffers were stretched and many people were struggling with poverty, housing and service delivery.
The ministry on Thursday announced that Mthethwa had directed his department to review the project after widespread criticism. This as Arts and Culture Minister Nathi Mthethwa was forced to abandon a R22 million single flag project after facing public outrage from taxpayers this week.
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On Thursday, speaking at a Black Business Council event, President Cyril Ramaphosa revealed he told Mthethwa to cancel the contract after he had called him asking what to do with the project in light of the public outrage. Many South Africans accused government of misguided planning, saying the millions could have been put to good use by improving service delivery.
How could a flag cost so much?
However, especially in a digital era with so much access to information, couldn’t the department consider a heritage project marking post-independence narratives a little more creatively than a giant flag, and use the funds in a way that would actually benefit people’s lives, or allow them to reap some sort of rewards?
First announced in February 2022, monumental flags are installed by countries to express their identity and pride. “A feasibility study on the development of the South African monumental flag was undertaken in 2020/2021.
“R5 million is budgeted in 2022/23 for the site-specific geotechnical studies, including the environmental impact assessment and other tests and applications that will be required prior to construction.
“The flag, as the brand image of the country, needs to be highly recognised by the citizens. Rendering a national flag as a monument of democracy goes a long way in making it highly recognised by the citizens.
“The project is envisaged to contribute towards nation-building and social cohesion. The design and colours are a synopsis of principal elements of the country’s flag history. 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.
The Giant Flag Project
We’re building a flag made up of millions of coloured desert plants and a four-megawatt solar field, on a previously barren tract of land. Adopt a plant, part of the white road or solar panel in the Giant Flag, and you’ll receive a personalised certificate with GPS coordinates showing the precise location of your contribution, suitable for sharing on social media, or printing and framing.
Your small contribution will make a giant difference. Your plant will be around long after any of us; for hundreds, if not thousands of years. The Giant Flag will not only have a positive impact on hundreds of lives but also on the planet.
Giant Flag Project
Maintenance Costs
The flagpole at Donkin Reserve set a record in the country when it was extended in height from 45m to 60m. James Combley of Neptune Engineering told TimesLIVE the cost of the extended steelwork alone, which he supplied in 2009, was now about R300,000. “It has doubled from 2009. This is due to inflation and the price increase of steel,” he said.
Table of South African Flags
The following table summarizes the key details of the discussed flags:
| Flag | Location | Height | Estimated Cost | Annual Maintenance | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Donkin Reserve Flag | Gqeberha, Eastern Cape | 60 meters | R2 million (in 2009) | R200,000 | Part of Route 67 project, commemorates Nelson Mandela's 67 years in politics |
| "Monumental" Flag (Cancelled) | Freedom Park, Pretoria (Planned) | 100 meters | R22 million (Planned) | N/A | Project cancelled due to public outrage |
| Giant Flag Project | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | Flag made of desert plants and a solar field |
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