McKenzie orders probe into alleged unauthorised use of SA Coat of Arms by Somali Association

What was referred for investigation

The Department of Sport, Arts and Culture said it had noted what appears to be the Coat of Arms, or a reproduction thereof, being incorporated into the association’s logo and branding materials. The Somali Association of South Africa is described by the department as a non-profit organisation set up to “improve integration between South Africans and people who are migrants, refugees and asylum-seekers” and to liaise with government and civil society to help the Somali community.

Formal steps ordered by the minister

McKenzie said he had “formally referred this matter to Thembinkosi Mabaso, State Herald of the Bureau of Heraldry, with instructions to conduct a formal investigation into whether the logo and branding materials of the Somali Association of South Africa constitute a contravention of the Heraldry Act.”

He has further requested that, should a contravention be found, the State Herald issue an appropriate compliance notice “requiring the immediate cessation of any unauthorised use” and “apply the full range of sanctions available under the Act if the association fails to comply.”

Legal protections and next steps

The department underlined that the South African Coat of Arms is “one of our country’s most sacred national symbols” and that its use is strictly governed by the Heraldry Act 18 of 1962, which “prohibits any person from using, manufacturing, or reproducing a state heraldic representation without the written authority of the State Herald.”

“The protection applies to all persons and all organisations, without exception,” the department said. The Bureau of Heraldry has been asked to report its findings to the minister’s office within ten working days. The Department said it will provide a further update once the Bureau of Heraldry has completed its assessment.

Response and reporting

The Citizen has contacted Sasa for comment and said any response would be included in the story once received.

“The integrity of South Africa’s national symbols is non-negotiable. The Coat of Arms is not a decorative element available for adoption by any organisation that finds it convenient. It belongs to the people of South Africa and must be treated with the dignity and legal respect it commands.”

The department said McKenzie’s office will “act decisively wherever the law has been contravened, and this matter will be dealt with as a precedent for how such contraventions are handled going forward.”