SA’s tale of two flags
A flag is so much more than a colourful piece of cloth. How did the old oranje-wit-en-blou go from ‘reviled by Afrikaners’ to a symbol of apartheid in just 20 years? And why does our current flag still unite South Africans even as they despair at the state of the country?
21 April 2022 - 05:00
When you think about it, the “new” SA flag — officially unveiled 28 years ago this week — is something of a miracle worker. How else could it be that the same guy who will take any chance to denigrate the “cANCerous” government, is happy to pull on a pair of socks, a Lycra cycling suit or even a speedo emblazoned with its red, green, blue and gold stripes?
That flag has somehow come to represent that most elusive of things: a united SA. It’s a remarkable feat for something that was designed in just one week...
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