South Africa remembers an historic election every April 27, Freedom Day

South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa on Tuesday condemned a controversial election advertisement by the opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) depicting the national flag going up in flames.

BBC News

In a statement, Ramaphosa described the ad as "desperate and inciteful" claiming it undermined the principles of democracy and unity ahead of the national and provincial elections on May 29 for "political party purposes."

Polity.org.za

The online and TV ad was "treacherous", Ramaphosa added, while Culture Minister Zizi Kodwa reportedly warned he was considering further action against the allegedly "abhorrent and unpatriotic" political commercial.

Barrons

DA leader John Steenhuisen defended the ad, arguing it was intended as a "wake-up call" for South Africans given what he described as a potential "doomsday coalition" between the ruling ANC and the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) party.

The short video launched Sunday shows SA's flag in flames while a voiceover warns that "life will only get worse" under a potential ANC/EFF coalition. The narrator then calls on people to unite and save the country by supporting the DA.

Opinion polls reportedly suggest that the ANC will not win the more than 50% of votes needed to form a government in the 2024 national and provincial elections, said to raise the likelihood of the first coalition government since SA became a democracy in 1994.

SA: President Ramaphosa Condemns Flag-Burning Election Ad

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SA: President Ramaphosa Condemns Flag-Burning Election Ad

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