Display of the old South African apartheid-era flag will be banned at Cape Town’s stadium during the World Cup, officials said on Monday. The flag, which is associated with racial oppression, is still sometimes seen at sporting events, despite being replaced by the multi-colored national flag at the beginning of the democratic era in 1994.
Cape Town Mayor Dan Plato said such displays at other sporting events had “caused some embarrassment” in the past.
“We don’t want that same embarrassment to take place here,” Plato told a news conference, according to the Sapa news agency.
Display of the flag is not illegal, but it is regarded by many as offensive.
“We want rather to say to people, the old South African flag is not a recognized national flag any more and we don’t want people unnecessarily to embarrass South Africa and to embarrass Cape Town,” Plato said.
Rich Mkhondo, spokesman for the local organizing committee, said each host city was allowed to make their own decisions on such issues.
“It was the decision of the city to impose such regulation and I am not aware if others cities are doing the same,” he told reporters.
In 2006 parliament mooted legislation to legally ban the flag, but no decision has been made yet.
In related news, South Africa’s world champion rugby team threw its weight behind the country’s soccer players and the Cup yesterday.
South African Rugby Union president (SARU) Oregan Hoskins and Springboks coach Peter de Villiers were in Durban to add their voices to the celebrations marking the 100-day countdown to the tournament.
Hoskins said in a SARU statement that he backed the South African Football Association to deliver an “outstanding and memorable African World Cup.”
“We are heading into one of the most extraordinary periods in our history,” Hoskins said, “and I’m not sure any of us are yet aware of what a magnificent experience we’re going to share with each other and the world.”
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