SA News
A feasibility study is underway to develop the South African Monumental Flag, which would be an iconic " monument to democratic South Africa."
And, according to State Herald, Thembinkosi Mabaso, “this will be a huge flag hoisted on a tall structure of more or less 100 metres high.”
South Africa’s National Flag was first used 27-years ago as the country held its first democratic elections, heralding a new era for a country previously divided along racial lines.
Commemorated annually on 27 April, Freedom Day recalls the day when all citizens regardless of colour, culture and creed voted in the first democratic elections.
April resonates in the history of our nation as the month that saw the first democratic elections in 1994 that gave birth to freedom and constitutional democracy.
The flag, which intrinsically ties in with South Africa’s democracy, originally was intended to only be used in the interim.
In the years preceding the historic elections, Fred Brownell who was the then State Herald of the country, started mulling the idea of what the new flag would look like.
This followed the 1990 release of Nelson Mandela, the country’s first democratically elected President, and the announcement of the unbanning of liberation movements.
It is said that for three years he sought a theme for the new flag and in February 1994, a technical team was appointed by the then Transitional Executive Council (TEC) with Brownell as the team’s convenor.
The team was tasked with “finding” a flag.
In 1994, TEC negotiations mulled the flag design, and subsequently, the flag was given the green light giving a new identity to the nation.
SAnews.
