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17/05/95
A NEW FLAG
-
I would suggest that it is premature to call for designs for a New flag
.
- The
Constitutional Assembly should have a clause in the New Constitution which
provides that the National Flag - the design of which
is described in the
Schedule to Proclamation No. 70,1994 as published in Government Gazette No 15663
of 20 April 1994 - should continue
to be the National Flag of the Republic of
South Africa at least until 1 year after the New Constitution the work of the
Constitutional
Assembly has been promulgated under Section 73 of Act 200 1993
and the first fully and exclusively representative government elected
installed
and fully operational at all levels.
3 . The New Constitution should prescribe a procedure for changing the
National Flag
4 . The new National Assembly can call for designs for a new flag if it is so
minded .
MOTIVATION
- .
The Constitutional Assembly is presently busy with the New Constitution and is
concerned with BASIC AND FUNDAMENTAL ISSUES. A new
flag is not a basic and
fundamental issue but a method of changing the national flag is
.
- . By
rushing to change the National Flag now the CA would in effect be saying that a
Flag is a SHORT-TERM entity and I think that
that would be wrong . The Flag is a
symbol of SA and hopefully stability is an important part of that icon. If the
Flag changes
too often then SA likewise will have an image of
change.
- The
History of other National Flags is relevant to this issue . For example : The
USA adds a star every time a new State is admitted
to the Union . What happens
if the " Front Line States " want closer ties with SA in the
future?
- The
CA should recognise that national flags do change. In SA in the past the flag
has been a contentious issue . Do we not want to
avoid confrontation and to
pursue peace and reconciliation. Why create an artificial " battle ground are
there not enough substantive
ones already .
-
There is the matter of expense too . The European Union spent an inordinate
amount of time and money in deciding the colour of the
new EU passport . Should
we not learn from their folly. Are there not more important issues
?
When acknowledging receipt kindly quote the key reference word " Flag "
together with your number
Seth G. Abrahams
Advocate of the Supreme Court of South Africa
Member of the Johannesburg Bar 1962 - 1974
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