The Ministry of Sport, Arts and Culture will assess a decision to spend R22-million on a gigantic South African flag and "review the process ... in its totality".

The department announced the "monumental" flag project when it detailed its annual performance plan for the 2022/2023 year in the National Assembly last week.

The 100m flagpole is meant to be installed at Freedom Park in Pretoria.

However, since the announcement, the department has faced much backlash. Some critics described the project as a waste of money.

Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture Nathi Mthethwa has since "directed his department to review the process related to the monumental flag in its totality", a department statement indicated.

At the time of publication, the department did not say what the process would entail.

"Over the past few days, the Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture has followed and taken note of public discourse that has unfolded in respect of the envisaged monumental flag. The diversity of voices around this important heritage project are a welcome celebration of our country's vibrant constitutional democracy and the freedoms that must be upheld beyond posterity," the statement read.