‘You are useless and we all hate you’ – Bonang Matheba wants Minister Mthethwa fired over R22m flag

Bonang Matheba

Cape Town – Media personality, Bonang Matheba, has called for Minister Nathi Mthethwa to be fired, as she joined the chorus of outrage over his department’s plan to spend R22 million on a national monument flag project.

The flag is said to be more than 100 metres high and will be fitted at a cost of R17 million, with geotechnical studies valued at R5 million.

The minister appeared on eNCA on May 17, as he justified the need to install the giant flag.

He said that the flag, which is to be erected at the Freedom Park Heritage Site and Museum and serves as a national landmark and tourist attraction.

He said the flag would be lit at night, “because the education has to be continuous, both during the day and at night”.

“The value will outlive us,” he said, adding that the flag will “exist for a very long time”.

However, Bonang came out guns blazing on Twitter, calling for the minister to be fired.

“Fire this man. Please.” Bonang tweeted.

“You have no clue what you’re doing. Go away,” she said.

Bonang also said that the minister was “useless” and “we all hate you”.

Many South Africans, including political parties such as ActionSA, Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and Freedom Front Plus (FF+) have expressed their outrage over the monumental flag.

On Tuesday, the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) described the department’s plan as absurd, pointless, senseless and ridiculous.

“The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) calls on the South African government to scrap the Department of Arts, Culture and Sports’ ludicrous and absurd plan to blow about R22 million on a 100-metre flag monument. This vanity project is pointless and the idea that it will attract tourists is senseless and ridiculous.

“Many people around the world are being squeezed by the rising cost of living and they do not have the money to go around looking at flag monuments.

ALSO READ: ‘A symbol of unity and common identity’ – SA to spend R22 million on gigantic flag

“South Africa has enough tourist attractions and does not need another inept government department to waste millions of rands on a misguided project to attract tourists,” said Cosatu.

Meanwhile, in the midst of all this outrage, radio and TV personality Penny Lebyane has come out in support of the project, saying that R22 million “doesn’t sound like a lot of money for something that will outlive me”.

“Obviously Nathi Mthethwa is not liked by a whole industry that hates itself so nothing new there for me. But l have a question. How did they build your favourites: The Eiffel Tower in Paris, Statue Of Liberty in New York, Christ The Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro? Why do you like them?

“I have not studied the feasibility document on the flag to cost R22m so I’m limited there but it doesn’t sound like a lot of money for something that will outlive me,” Penny tweeted.

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Compiled by Olwethu Mpeshe 

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