JOHANNESBURG – Arts and Culture Minister Nathi Mthethwa said Frederick Brownell, the man who designed and produced the South African flag, gave post-apartheid South Africa an identity.
Brownell died in his Pretoria home on Friday at the age of 79.
2 days ago, our country lost one of its greatest patriots & national heroes, former South African State Herald & the designer of our South African flag, Mr Fred Brownell. In his lifetime Fred Brownell designed many coats of arms & flags including the flag for Namibia. pic.twitter.com/MASO906Hwv
— Min. Nathi Mthethwa (@NathiMthethwaSA) May 12, 2019
His flag was adopted in April 1994, replacing the old apartheid flag that had been used since 1928.
The minister said Brownell’s name was synonymous with the country’s journey to democracy.
In a tweet, Mthethwa recalled the day Brownell presented the flag. Mthethwa said over 7,000 flag designs were submitted, but none made the cut. He said a commission then approached Brownell, who presented his design.
2 days ago, our country lost one of its greatest patriots & national heroes, former South African State Herald & the designer of our South African flag, Mr Fred Brownell. In his lifetime Fred Brownell designed many coats of arms & flags including the flag for Namibia. pic.twitter.com/MASO906Hwv
— Min. Nathi Mthethwa (@NathiMthethwaSA) May 12, 2019
In the same year a National Symbols Commission was appointed to invite public flag submissions to mark the new era of a democratic South Africa but because Fred Brownell was part of the commission, he could not submit his design, although he continued to refine it in secret.
— Min. Nathi Mthethwa (@NathiMthethwaSA) May 12, 2019
Fred Brownell submitted his design to Roelf Meyer, the government’s Chief Negotiator who took it to his then @MYANC counterpart & the now current president, President @CyrilRamaphosa who then consulted late President uTata Madiba for his approval of the flag. pic.twitter.com/DD2ZRrLwfL
— Min. Nathi Mthethwa (@NathiMthethwaSA) May 12, 2019
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