Johannesburg - An apology from Gauteng Education and Youth Development MEC Panyaza Lesufi for a tweet on the apartheid flag at a Rugby World Cup match has left social media divided.
Lesufi on Sunday tweeted a picture of a group of rugby supporters at Sunday's semi-final clash between the Springboks and Wales, with one supporter seen draped in a South African flag.
The MEC mistook the flag for the contentious old apartheid flag, lamenting that it was "spoiling" the occasion and urging people to avoid hurting each other unnecessarily.
The gratuitous display of that flag was earlier this year banned by the Equality Court, sitting at the South Gauteng High Court, which said it amounted to hate speech.
%%%twitter https://twitter.com/Springboks?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Springboksbelongs to all of us. Let’s avoid hurting each other unnecessarily. #StrongerTogether pic.twitter.com/7GIbY0iGzv
— Panyaza Lesufi (@Lesufi)
Tweeps however, were quick to point out that the supporter in fact was draped in a South African flag, calling on Lesufi to apologise for the blunder.
It wasn’t the old flag. The people are celebrating their captain and their team. They don’t need this fake kak. pic.twitter.com/AThuuyHFLQ
But the guy isn't carrying an old flag.. look at his shoulder..? I think unverified picture can fuel hate & division
— Mangi Tshikomba 🇿🇦🇺🇸 (@mangi_tshikomba) October 27, 2019
On Monday morning, the MEC offered a "sincere apology" for the gaffe, urging fellow South Africans to join in celebrating the Boks' victory.
%%%twitter https://twitter.com/Springboks?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SpringboksForward with social cohesion. We are better together than divided! Apartheid flag divides South African 🇿🇦 flag unites! Slaan hulle die volgende week! pic.twitter.com/ZUdbfPxYwb
— Panyaza Lesufi (@Lesufi)
While many lauded Lesufi for owning up to his mistake and apologising, others slammed him for sowing racial division and for not deleting his original post.
See some of the reactions to Lesufi's apology:
%%%twitter https://twitter.com/mzwandileMasina?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@mzwandileMasinanow,politicians are mostly the cause of racial divisions on this platforms but hey who am i to bluff about it
— fred (@Legwabe_fred)
People in leadership are quick to divide the nation. Anyway ask your buddies to apologize too.
— OG_ Johannes (@OG_Sibzo) October 27, 2019
%%%twitter https://twitter.com/hashtag/StrongerTogether?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#StrongerTogether
— Blaze Abrahams (@Blaze1up2)
Well done for apologizing - you often launch campaigns based on Twitter visuals yet its difficult to get the full context of a situation from one low quality photo. Please, there is a lot going on, let's not inflame emotions any more than necessary
— Gillian Faichnie (@GillianF) October 27, 2019