The Nelson Mandela Foundation says although South Africans should acknowledge their history, it’s important for them to strive for a better future.
The foundation and lobby group, AfriForum, will be back in the Equality Court in Johannesburg on Tuesday for the second day of its legal battle over the apartheid flag.
The foundation has asked the court to declare the gratuitous display of the apartheid flag hate speech.
It says the continuation of such acts constitute hate speech, harassment and unfair discrimination.
AfriForum is opposing the application. It however says it’s not defending the flag but it’s fighting for the freedom of expression.
“Those who come into your place, surely sensitivity tells us that once you are in a situation where you have other people, who might not agree with you around the use of the flag, they should also have the kind of reprieve against you,” says Sello Hatang, Nelson Mandela Foundation CEO.
Meanwhile, the Executive Director of the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation, Stanley Henkeman, says anything that seeks to divide South Africans goes against the objective of the country’s constitution.
Henkeman says he understands the foundation’s concern.
“The intention of our constitution, the intention of what we want to achieve in this country is to build a united South Africa and so if there’s anything that causes division, that causes offence, that is regarded as exclusionary or discriminatory. Then one has to look at it and ask oneself, is this in the best interest, and I think for me, the stance of the Mandela Foundation is exactly that, that it is about challenging something that is exclusionary,” says Henkeman.
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