Old South Africa flag should not be banned

Ban this flag and expect to see more people displaying it. We are not children. We don't need government telling us what to say, what to wear or which flag we choose to represent us. To many people the ANC flag is evil, representing terrorism yet there are no calls to ban it. If people insist on driving more wedges between the population groups in South Africa, we will never leave the past behind.

Renewed calls for the banning of the old South African flag has been issued after the flag made its appearance at Loftus last weekend

A political commentator has likened the old national flag with to being the same as being called a k*****. [KAFFIR, dammit - Ed.]

IOL asked its readers: Should the old South African flag be legally banned?

Of the 1 711 people who participated in the poll, 743 (43%) voted "Yes" and 968 (57%) voted "No".

Here is a selection of reader comments:

Cheryl: I say no, it is part of our history and for us who are old enough to have lived through those times whether good or bad we cannot get rid of the flag. I love our new flag and if government ever changes again in another 100 years and becomes a white government we cannot get rid of this flag.

Richard: Banned or not, it is still part of our history and it will always be waived around by someone. What about the Communist hammer and sickle.........thats not banned

Justice: Freedom of expression! That's what the Constitution says! Just because you don't like it does not mean it has to be banned. When you replace God's law with so-called human rights, then it does not matter what you say, write or do. The liberal constitution will protect you. So fly the vierhkleur high! Next time think twice before voting anyone and letting do as they please!

Sam Muller: It is very strange to me for people to talk about freedom of expression about a flag that was the symbol of human rights violations to the majority of south africans.Our rememberence of the flag is about a past that divided a nation and nearly lead to a civil war.This is the same flag that was held high when the apartheid regime violated other countries freedom by destroying their infrastructure and setting up,counter revolutionary forces to undermine the will of the people of those country.This flag represent everything that was wrong in this country.Ban it now.

Anon E Mouse: It's part of history. Surely in this enlightened age, freedom of expression is PC. It does not threaten anyone. It's not a symbol of coming insurrection. Whether we approve of it or not is not the point. Freedom of expression is. If everything I disapproved of was banned, most people would object.

Anton: Don't ban the flag. It is a part of history. Those who choose to wave the flag in public do not portray the feelings of the majority, they are to be felt sorry for. They clearly feel left out and are hanging to the past. If someone cannot move on, feel sorry for them, they are displaying their insecurities in public.