By Enyichukwu Enemanna
The opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) in South Africa has come under severe criticism for its election campaign in which the country’s national flag was set on fire.
In the campaign advert, as the flag is seen going up in flames, a voice-over warns “life will only get worse” under the African National Congress (ANC), a party that has been in power since 1994.
The burning of the flag is then reversed as the speaker urges voters to support the DA.
“This election is about survival,” it ends as the flag is replenished and returns to its original form.
The DA advert however angered some South Africans who accused the party of desecrating the flag to highlight challenges faced by citizens.
President Cyril Ramaphosa in a statement on Tuesday said while he was committed to free speech, this has to “be exercised with respect for all people and that it does not incite social upheaval or violence”.
According to Ramaphosa, there are problems in the country, and he has also emphasised the transformation that South Africa has made in the last three decades.
“South Africans are more educated, empowered and healthier than they were under apartheid,” Ramaphosa has said, urging people not to threaten that progress.
Addressing the media on Sunday, when the advert was launched, DA leader John Steenhuisen said it was a “symbolic representation of the future that awaits South Africa if people do not vote for the DA”.
“This is our fourth advert, and nobody has commented on the others, which surprises me,” DA official Ashor Sarupen told the Daily Maverick news website.
Heritage Times HT reports that the ANC had led the struggle against white-minority rule and the legalised form of racial discrimination known as apartheid.
Parties have tackled each other ahead of the 29 May general election.
Ramaphosa at an event recently to mark the country’s 30th anniversary had hailed the parties achievements in the last three decades.
“We have pursued land reform, distributing millions of hectares of land to those who had been forcibly dispossessed,” he said.
“We have built houses, clinics, hospitals, roads and constructed bridges, dams, and many other facilities. We have brought electricity, water and sanitation to millions of South African homes.”
The party’s image has come to question following accusations of graft and its inability to effectively tackle poverty, crime, inequality, and unemployment, which remain staggeringly high.
The governing party is being largely blamed for the lack of progress in improving the lives of so many South Africans.
The party has also lost the support of its key members, including the former President, Jacob Zuma who was due this week to appear before a disciplinary committee over allegations of anti-party activities.
The hearing was shifted to a date after the election over security concerns. He enjoys a large followership in the country’s political landscape.
