FFPlus: Probe anthem censoring

2009-06-19 16:08

Pretoria - The Freedom Front Plus says it wants an investigation into what it calls the "censoring" of the national anthem during Sunday's opening ceremony of the Confederations Cup.

The party would ask the Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities to look into the matter, FF Plus sport spokesperson Willie Spies said on Friday.

It would also approach the Pan-South African Language Board.

He said the party had received numerous complaints from members of the public upset that organisers had played only a shortened version of the anthem, in which the Afrikaans "Die Stem" was omitted.

"It is unacceptable that the recognition which is given to the Afrikaans part of an important national symbol such as the anthem was disparaged in this way at an international event," he said.
 

- SAPA