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BACKGROUND

After 1994, South Africans were embracing and enjoying a newfound freedom. The task of correcting the wrongs of the past, however, was an all-encompassing one. Thirteen years after democracy much has been achieved, but a few important things were yet to be restored. A new nation needs new symbols to identify with, to look up to and draw inspiration from. In 2000 Parliament engaged in processes to establish Parliamentary symbols that are in line with our new democratic dispensation. These processes at Parliamentary and political
party levels culminated in the design, manufacture and launch of the new symbols for each of Parliament's two houses.

To this extent the National Assembly introduced and launched a new Mace in September 2004 known as the People's Mace. The National Council of Provinces launched and introduced a new Black Rod in February 2005. The aforementioned events were initial phases of a bigger project to establish a new emblem for Parliament - an emblem that spans nine provinces and could be understood in all languages. The old emblem dated back to 1964 and represented the Westminster tradition, with a shield representing the four colonies from which South Africa was composed at the beginning of the twentieth century. This emblem also included the old South African Coat of Arms.

WHY A NEW EMBLEM?

A new emblem was an important step in establishing an identity for Parliament, one that represents its values, vision and mission. As a cornerstone of our new democracy, it was important that this new emblem was the result of a democratic process involving its Members,
Officials and – importantly – the people of South Africa. A new emblem that is representative of Parliament’s role in society would inspire Members and Officials to uphold its values and strive for the ideals set out in our Constitution. The new emblem would also serve to unite and educate the public as to the role of Parliament in their everyday lives.

TOWARDS A NEW EMBLEM

In 2006, the Presiding Officers to Parliament established a multi-party political steering committee. Consisting of thirteen Members, the role of this committee was to give political guidance in the development and design of the new emblem in terms of Parliament’s values and vision. The committee also had to ensure input from all political parties and see
that the public participation process was considered in the development. Finally it also had to recommend a final design to the Presiding Officers. Experts from across design, branding, Heraldry, African symbolism and art were consulted and played an integral part in the development of the new emblem.

Design criteria

The Joint Rules Committee ruled that the new emblem:

  • should reflect our diverse multi-cultural society while still showing the unity of our nation
  • should celebrate our democracy and our country’s new beginning while upholding the dignity and stature of the institution
  • had to be dignified and aesthetically pleasing, yet meaningful and simple with a distinctive African flavour.

Design philosophy

The philosophy had to convey that Parliament is a people’s Parliament which acts as my voice ensuring government by the people under the Constitution. It is where my elected representatives assemble to consider national and provincial issues that affect me. Parliament is responsive to my needs and is driven by the ideals of improving my quality of life. It upholds my values of democracy, social justice and fundamental human rights.

THE PEOPLE’S EMBLEM

Public participation

Parliament is the voice of the people. Thus the search for a new emblem was entrusted to the very people it represents – the public. After an internal call for submissions, the public advertising campaign launched on August 20 in all Sunday and some regional newspapers, national and regional radio, in all official languages.

Tapping into South African creativity and abundance of artistic talent was essential. Therefore the brief was sent out to design schools and departments, community art projects and high schools. Supporting the campaign was extensive publicity and promotional activity,
which resulted in coverage in almost every medium in the country. To raise awareness of the project at street level, a series of public design days took place across the whole of South Africa. These design days, or D-Days as they were known, included internal sessions at Parliament. A total of 90 schools from all nine provinces ensured that the voice of our youth
was represented at the highest level.

Final 20 designers

Over 2,000 designs were submitted by passionate South Africans during the 3-week call for entries. From these, the panel of experts chose 20 finalists - a vibrant mix of designers from rural to urban areas across the whole of South Africa. The 20 finalists participated in an intensive four-day design workshop in Cape Town. Their programme included design and expert lectures, interactive workshops, and a tour of Parliament. The expert lectures covered Heraldic Standards, Design Language, African Symbolism, Brand Management and a case study on the National Coat of Arms. Importantly, the participants were also orientated on Parliament’s values, mission, vision, core objectives and strategic objectives.

Finally, the workshop saw four teams of five delegates each collaborate on new draft designs for a Parliamentary emblem.

The 20 finalist designers were:
Mr D Christer, Mr RG Clayton, Ms A De Jager, Mr N Franzen, Ms P Harris,
Mr R Humbulan, Mr M Leander, Mr A Ma'an-Hessari, Mr K Mathebula,
Mr L Moagi, Mr JL Mokoena, Mr PA Moleko, Mr M Moleme, Mr L Nkosi,
Mr V Nxedlana, Mr V Rust, Mr T Samuel, Mr M Shaw, Mr X Sokhela, Mr RG Tsie.

LAUNCH OF THE NEW EMBLEM

With the new emblem finalised, its elements and symbolism were introduced to Members and Officials of Parliament. A month-long launch campaign expressed the values and mission of Parliament through the four symbols of the emblem. Throughout, the focus remained on aligning Members and Officials with Parliament’s new positioning.

Built on an experiential platform, the internal launch used print, internal broadcast, team drumming events, live performances, interactive competitions and online media to create excitement around the launch of this iconic new emblem. Parliament of South Africa is proud to launch its new emblem at what will be an historic event on 27 March 2007 in Cape Town.

The launch of the new emblem is the first step in communicating the positioning of Parliament to the public and the event will honour all those South Africans who have been part of this historic project. Amongst the VIP guests will be the 20 designers, learner representatives of schools that participated and South Africans that inspired our new democracy.

With this new symbol we, as the people of South Africa, are reclaiming another important piece of our past and looking forward to a brighter future for all our people.