CHRIS ROPER: Nathi’s 100m climbdown
A public outcry has made Nathi Mthethwa backtrack on his grand flag ambition. Symbolically, however, the R22m flag continues to loom large — as an indicator of just how out of touch the government is
Yet another sad, sad day in SA. This is why we can’t have nice things. I’ve just learnt that, because of an outcry by the usual interfering citizens and sanctimonious do-gooders who plague the country, we won’t be getting our glorious R22m giant flag. What an opportunity missed!
All the great countries of the world have erected symbols expressing the enormous regard in which their governments hold their people. In Turkmenistan, good ol’ Gurbanguly “Never met a horse I didn’t like” Berdymukhamedov — president from 2006 to 2022 and now succeeded in suspicious circumstances by his son — has a huge monument in Ashgabat, the capital city. It features him sitting astride his golden horse, and is described by Wikipedia as being cast in bronze and covered in 24ct gold leaf. It soars over 20m from the ground and is perched on a massive outcrop of white marble cliff...
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