National Symbol
Together with the springbok antelope, the protea had been treated as a sometimes controversial national symbol in South Africa, both during and after apartheid.
Today the South Africa national cricket team is known as "The Proteas" and this has linked the flower to wider nationalist sentiments in South Africa.
The former South African Prime Minister and architect of apartheid, Hendrik Frensch Verwoerd, had a dream to change the flag of South Africa to have in its center a leaping springbok antelope over a wreath of six proteas. This proposal, however, aroused too much controversy to be implemented.
After the demise of apartheid, the ANC government decreed that South African sporting teams, hitherto called "Springboks" were to be known as the "Proteas", although an exemption was made for the rugby union team, who remain "Springboks". In apartheid times, the "Proteas" was the Cape Coloured representative team.
Read more about this topic: Protea
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