EFF WELCOMES THE EQUALITY COURT RULING THAT DECLARED THE GRATUITOUS DISPLAY OF THE APARTHEID FLAG AS HATE SPEECH

Wednesday, 21 August, 2019

The EFF welcomes the judgment of the Equality Court which has declared the gratuitous display of the apartheid flag as hate speech. The court also held that such gratuitous display of the apartheid flag also constitutes harassment, expression of white supremacy and sever racism.

Accordingly, this means any display of this evil flag from hence forth is a violation of the constitution.

Long have we said that the apartheid flag, as well as all another apartheid symbols, must fall. We welcome this ruling as a milestone and victory in favor of all those who have been calling for the apartheid and colonial symbols in society to fall.

It must be common cause that the apartheid national anthem must follow after its flag. The apartheid flag and its anthem belong to the same species. They are the two sides of one coin. When white supremacists display the flag, they salute it by singing Die Stem because they belong in the same anti-black racism performance acts.

In light of this ruling, we call on Ramaphosa to remove Die Stem from our National Anthem.

Forcing black people to sing Die Stem is like asking them each day to salute the Apartheid flag.

The apartheid statutes, street names and symbols that continue to celebrate and honour apartheid murderers and invaders should also be declared hate speech. They must be obliterated from the face of a democratic and inclusive South Africa.

Statement issued by the Economic Freedom Fighters, 21 August 2019