Pretoria – South Africa’s Department of Sport, Arts and Culture has launched a formal investigation into the Somali Association of South Africa over allegations that the organisation has been using the South African Coat of Arms, or a reproduction of it, in its logo and branding materials without authorisation.
Minister Gayton McKenzie confirmed that he has referred the matter to State Herald Thembinkosi Mabaso of the Bureau of Heraldry, with instructions to investigate whether the association’s branding constitutes a contravention of the Heraldry Act 18 of 1962.
The Act prohibits any person or organisation from using, manufacturing, or reproducing a state heraldic representation without written authority from the State Herald.
Should a contravention be found, the Bureau has been instructed to issue a compliance notice requiring the immediate cessation of the unauthorised use, and to apply the full range of sanctions available under the Act if the association fails to comply.
The Bureau of Heraldry has been given ten working days to report its findings back to the Minister’s office.
McKenzie was direct in his statement on the matter, saying: “The integrity of South Africa’s national symbols is non-negotiable. The Coat of Arms is not a decorative element available for adoption by any organisation that finds it convenient. It belongs to the people of South Africa and must be treated with the dignity and legal respect it commands.”
He added that his department would act decisively wherever the law has been contravened, and that the matter would serve as a precedent for how similar contraventions are handled in future.
The Department said it would provide a further update once the Bureau of Heraldry has completed its assessment.
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