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The FF Plus will be requesting the Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities and PANSALB to investigate the censuring of the national anthem during the opening ceremony of the Confederations Cup Competition, Sunday.

The party has received numerous complaints from members of the public who are upset about the fact that the organizers of the opening ceremony had only played a shortened version of the national anthem, in which the Afrikaans part of "Die Stem" was specifically omitted.

The FF Plus' Parliamentary spokesperson on Sport, Willie Spies, said in a statement the national anthem is a national asset which in a striking manner gives recognition to the countries' language and cultural groups. 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. It should be established whether the incident was isolated and arrangements have to be made to prevent a re-occurrence of such an incident.