Johannesburg - Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula’s spokesperson set off a social media storm when he posted a picture of the large coat of arms tattooed on his chest.
Esethu Hasane appeared to be unfazed, insisting that the tattoo, which is permanently inked on the left side of his chest, was filled with value and meaning.
After he posted a selfie on Twitter and Instagram, which reveals the patriotic tattoo through his vest, his followers chimed in on the unusual idea.
@MaksMolomo said: “You crazy,” while @SueFay1 questioned what Hasane would do with the tattoo if he had to be fired from the government.
Other users questioned whether the tattoo was real and poked fun at Hasane’s expense.
@LeboMokwene posted: “I suppose if you worked at customs you wouldn’t need a badge. Just show your chest,” and @ForeverShakes wrote: “Hehehe… Government is now literally close (to) your heart .”
Although many praised Hasane for his brazen tattoo choice, he hit back at his critics, saying he considered himself a “national key point”, and “proudly South African” as a result of his ink.
He took to Twitter and Instagram and said his tattoo, which was his first, was suggested to him by a friend.
“Not that I owe anyone an explanation but let me say this – our constitution, which has in it our human rights, our courts that defend those human rights, and the constitution in its entirety, our independent institutions – are protected by this coat of arms.”
He added that the Khoisan text that is written at the bottom of the coat of arms, which reads “!ke e:/xarra//ke” (Diverse people unite) was something he believed in.
He said the tattoo had meaning for him and that he wasn’t surprised that it shocked people who had stars, dragons and foreign languages tattoos.
The Star