Sale of old SA apartheid flag causes stir on social media

THE auctioning of the old apartheid flag has caused a stir on social media, after an Upington seller posted the flag on social media with other memorabilia from the past.

Prospective buyers had until 8pm on Thursday last week to buy the flag with two mini flags on a private Facebook page formed for Upington residents.

The opening bid was R1. Further bids were made, with one person offering R500, saying the flag would work in his toilet if they ran out of toilet paper.

This, as the Nelson Mandela Foundation filed an application in the Equality Court in Johannesburg for an order declaring that gratuitous displays of the old official flag of apartheid South Africa constitute hate speech.

The foundation found that public displays of the old flag compounded the pain that millions of black South Africans suffered under apartheid and continue to suffer under its legacy.

The foundation believes that such a declaration would establish a basis for holding people accountable for their actions.

The seller of the flag, who refused to give her name, said she had received mixed responses on the page.

She said a number of people had enquired about the availability of the flag after bidding had closed.

“The flags sold for R400 and while I understand that it may generate various emotions, I am only creating a platform for people to sell their items. I reported the despicable comments to the page’s administrators and I have no interest to get involved in politics, as I will sell any item based on the quality thereof,” she said.

Asked if she understood the strong emotions created by the flag and possible repercussions should people report her, she said she would consider it now and carefully assess future items she received for selling.

She said the platform was her only means to generate an income.