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25 May 2012
   
 
 

The Freedom Front Plus submitted a letter of complaint to FIFA about the use of the name "City of Tshwane" instead of Pretoria on advertising billboards and banners across the city. The advertisements clearly show the official FIFA logo. The Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality is the sponsor of the advertisements.

The FF Plus also said that it is considering legal action in the light of a commitment of FIFA to the Advertising Standards Authority of South Africa (ASA) not to refer to cities by the names of the municipalities in which they happen to fall, but to use their proper names.

The FF Plus received numerous complaints about the advertisements.

FF Plus councillor, Dr. Conrad Beyers, said that the advertisements shows disrespect towards the Capital of South Africa, Pretoria, and that FIFA should not allow its official logo to be misused for promoting petty political agendas by the local ANC.

According to the FF Plus, referring to Pretoria as "City of Tshwane" in this way should not be allowed by FIFA due to the following:

• It is clear that these advertisements are intended to welcome tourists to the City and it is hence a source of confusion;
• It is a sign of disrespect towards the Capital of South Africa to ignore its official name in advertisements;
• It constitutes the misuse of the FIFA logo for political agendas - in this case an attempt to advance a radical agenda to get rid of the name Pretoria;
• FIFA's earlier commitment not to refer to cities by the names of the municipalities in which they happen to fall;

The FF Plus reiterated that a political solution should be found for the Pretoria name dispute, and said that the use of the combined name of Pretoria and Tshwane as was done during World Cup games could point to a way forward that may be acceptable to the vast majority of al the City's diverse communities.

 

Edited by: Creamer Media Reporter
 
 
 
 
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