Google created a special version of its logo for South Africa's Freedom Day 2020, as it has in years before.

But after about three hours it announced it had removed the Google Doodle which had "offended some people".

The logo featured the colours of South Africa's flag – and a prominent stylised springbok.

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Google has removed a special version of its logo for South African users and apologised for posting it in the first place.



The search giant created a special Google Doodle for Freedom Day 2020, as it had in years before, and announced it at 09:00 South African time in a Twitter post – which was still available at the time of publication.

The image, Google said, "features the country's national animal, the emblematic springbok".

In honor of South Africa Freedom Day, today’s #GoogleDoodle features the country’s national animal, the emblematic springbok ????



→ https://t.co/w1Z5eIZtHt pic.twitter.com/fpT83k5Heh — Google Doodles (@GoogleDoodles) April 27, 2020

But by Monday afternoon the doodle was no longer displaying, with South African users to google.co.za instead being served the service's standard, unaltered logo.

The page explaining the significance of the special logo carried a quote by Nelson Mandela, Google's own partial archive shows.

" 'Wherever South Africans are across the globe, our hearts beat as one, as we renew our common loyalty to our country and our commitment to its future,' said then South African president Nelson Mandela on the first anniversary of South Africa Freedom Day," read the page, in part.

The page is no longer available.

Slightly after noon the Google in Africa Twitter account announced why the springbok doodle had been removed.

"We understand our #GoogleDoodle for South Africa’s Freedom Day offended some people," the account tweeted. "We should have done better and are deeply sorry. We've taken down the Doodle. Happy Freedom Day!"

We understand our #GoogleDoodle for South Africa’s Freedom Day offended some people. We should have done better and are deeply sorry. We've taken down the Doodle. Happy Freedom Day! — Google in Africa (@googleafrica) April 27, 2020

Earlier in the day, some on social media objected to the use of a springbok in the doodle:

Hey, @google. Your doodle is a terrible idea because the springbok is the last thing that anyone living in this country thinks of when they think freedom. — Jolinkomo (@MDCCXXIV) April 26, 2020

A springbok is an Afrikaner animal. Look at all Afrikan ethnic groups. Which one embraces a springbok as a symbol or identity? Afrikans uses animals in their clannames non cites a springbok. Afrikaaners have these in their farms they even make biltong out of their meat. — Intyatyambo (@SbusisoFaku) April 27, 2020

@Google springbok is not our national symbol. Our national symbol is a king Protea flower. Thank byee pic.twitter.com/NLGYKv8yME — SmangalisoPrince_SA ???? (@smangaliso_ZA) April 27, 2020

@Google Kindly remove the Springbok image on your Freedom Day Doodle as the springbok was a national symbol of Apartheid. To us blacks the springbok is a symbol of oppression and segregation. South Africa Freedom Day 2020! #GoogleDoodlehttps://t.co/9f3CmEbF5E — LesegoM (@LesegoM02295088) April 27, 2020

One thought the logo looked too "apartheid-ish":



Google’s Freedom Day image doesn’t work for me. Looks too apartheid-ish with the springbok and the three striped flag. They could have done a lot better. — Penza (@pedvr) April 27, 2020





(Compiled by Phillip de Wet.)







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