Black Monday protests have deepened racial divisions in South Africa, said the Nelson Mandela foundation.
Black Monday was the name given to a series of countrywide protests against farm killings on Monday, 30 October.
The foundation deplored the murder of farmers but expressed concern over what unfolded during the protest.
“When they come with a belligerence manifested in the burning of the national flag, displaying the old South African flag, and disrespecting of histories, then they become problematic.”
The head of Solidarity’s research institute, Connie Mulder confirmed “one or two” people had the old flag during the protests.
Agri SA executive director Omri van Zyl said they did not support the display of the old flag.
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“That was 23-years ago, we’re not there anymore,” he said.
The Nelson Mandela foundation said apartheid was a crime against humanity and displaying the flag, represented support of that crime.
The foundation said the most likely victims of murder in South Africa were poor, young and black.
“If the protesters had been black, then the way in which the police responded would have been completely different.”
The foundation went on to say there was no doubt the #BlackMonday protests had deepened divisions in South Africa.
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“We welcome, for instance, AgriSA’s assurance to us that it supports the constitution’s provision for national symbols and distances itself from the displays of the old flag like we saw a week ago.”
The foundation raised the question on whether it was time to outlaw displays of the old flag.
“Is there a connection between the hubris of the Black Monday protests and the deep well of rage which underlies individual cases of murder on white-owned farms? How do we foster a collective revulsion at the murder of any South African, regardless of categorisation?”
Solidarity chairperson, Flip Buys said politicians attempts to mistakenly represent the old flag as a symbol of the day shifted the focus from the country’s real problems.
“White South Africans are not hankering for the old flag’s past, but we are looking forward to a future without violence, corruption of funds and state capture,” he said.
He said those who flew the old flag at the protest only constituted for one percent of the figures.
“99% of the other participants had carried the true symbols of the occasion – wearing of black clothes and carrying white crosses,” Buys said.
Buys concluded by explaining that banning the old flag would have the opposite and undesirable effect.
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