Renowned brand strategist Thebe Ikalafeng warns that the DA has positioned itself against the country’s populace and must now reap the fruits of its undoing by its depiction of a burning national flag.
“The flag, across political affiliation, is a symbol of unity, and the DA has shown themselves to be unpatriotic,” Ikalafeng, who is described as the pre-eminent global African authority in branding, told Sunday World in an interview this week.
This was in response to last week’s DA advert depicting the country’s flag burning, after which a contraption was contrived to reassemble the burnt national flag to its original state, symbolising, according to the DA, that if they were to win an election, they would govern the country better.
“What the DA has done is not only treasonous but is also criminal. Our flag is one of the most treasured and adored symbols in the world and is associated with the struggle of the people for freedom and democracy.
“Society imposes norms on society, and creative licence, as suggested by the DA, has its limits, and the DA has gone far beyond what is acceptable. The people of this country, across the colour divide, are justified in expressing their anger in protest against such a stunt.
“A country’s flag is the embodiment of the people, and not a political party symbol, and the DA has touched a raw nerve of the people by burning the country’s flag, hence such a negative reaction against them,” he said.
The notion of “creative license”, touted by the DA, which they think they are entitled to, is misplaced. “If the truth must be told, the effect of the DA’s action to burn the national flag for political ends has boomeranged on them, and the people of this country are rising in anger against them for showing unpatriotic tendencies by burning the country’s most valued symbolism of unity,” he said.
Ikalafeng was also joined by the ANC and Cosatu in lambasting the “unpatriotic stance adopted by the DA”.
ANC national spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu said the country ought to be disgusted by the DA political advertisement, which had disrespected the sovereignty of this country.
“The consistent insensitivity in their campaign communications reflects a glaring absence of moral integrity within the party. These actions are not only disrespectful but also highly offensive. The fact that such content received approval from their communications department is a clear indication of the lack of critical thinking within the party,” Bhengu said.
Acting national spokesperson and parliamentary coordinator of Cosatu Matthew Parks said the federation was appalled “by the latest DA election stunt mimicking the burning of the national flag”.
“This is a reminder once again of the DA’s tone-deaf insensitivity towards millions of South Africans who experienced the most horrific form of abuse during the dark apartheid days,” said Parks.
