President Cyril Ramaphosa has condemned the DA’s controversial election advert and described it as treasonous. Ramaphosa was speaking during the official launch of the newly built Home Affairs office and one hundred mobile trucks offices in Mokopane, Limpopo.
He says the mobile Home Affairs trucks will help reduce the influx of people at the department’s offices.
Ramaphosa says the advert is an insult to the country. The DA’s electioneering video depicts a picture of the South African flag burning out slowly.
The narrator saying the elections are about surviving the damage done to the country by the ruling African National Congress.
At the end of the video, there is a restored picture of the South African flag with the party electioneering theme “Unite to rescue South Africa’.
Ramaphosa says all South Africans must unite behind the South African flag, as people died for the flag of the nation.
He says the DA’s advert is totally unacceptable, as it seeks to destroy the unity and the identity of South Africans.
“With regards to the burning of the flag, even in a political advert. That is treasonous, the flag the red flag of our country is a sacred article in the life of our country. It is that flag that unites all of us. It is despicable that a political party can as it seeks to express itself, go and burn the symbol of unity, the symbol of our existence as a nation. And I think it is treasonous because anybody, particularly an organisation that does something like that for political expediency should really be ashamed of themselves, because it is the most despicable political act that anyone can embark upon, particularly when they are campaigning for votes. Because you voting now for a party that wants to destroy South Africa that wants to destroy the symbol that unites all of us,” says Ramaphosa.
Video: 2024 Elections – Ramaphosa slams DA ad as treasonous:
Meanwhile, Home Affairs Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi says his department will continue to expand its offices in hospitals and shopping malls. The new initiative will ensure that newborn babies are immediately registered after birth.
“We have 161 hospitals where we have already opened Home Affairs offices, we are also opening offices in malls so that people can shop and access Home Affairs offices. This initiative is called Home Affairs in malls and we have already opened our offices at Menlyn mall in Pretoria.”
Community members in Mokopane have welcomed the building of the new offices and the mobile trucks.
“We are grateful for this Home Affairs because it’s in town and the elderly people will also be able to access it,” a community member says.
“I am happy today, because we will get services next to us. We want to thank the Department of Home Affairs,” another community member explains.
The department has also launched kiosk machines which work like ATMs, where people can immediately print out various certificates and apply for ID cards and passports on their own.
Video: President Ramaphosa unveils mobile Home Affairs offices in Limpopo:
