Twitter users are disturbed by the sale of products depicting the old South African flag on Amazon UK.

The products - which comprise three stripes of orange, white and blue with the emblems of Britain, the Orange Free State and the South African Republic at the centre - are on sale for £9.99 (about R210).

The apartheid-era SA flag was recently banned from being displayed in the country, except for academic, artistic or journalistic purposes. 

The products on sale on Amazon UK range from hooded sweatshirts to hats, place mats and chair cushions.

The online retailer has reached out to the Twitter user who flagged the products via their social media platform, offering information on how to contact them with a complaint.

The products are being met with disgust from some South Africans. Comments include:

“My blood boils whenever I see this flag.”

“You are selling a hate speech and blatant racist product. Please just remove it!”

“That flag is a symbol of the oppression and mass murder of black people in apartheid South Africa. Take it down.”

On August 22 2019, the South African Equality Court ruled that the displaying of the country’s apartheid-era flag in public constitutes hate speech, in that it discriminates against black people and violates equality laws.

Ruling on the matter at the time, deputy judge president Phineas Mojapelo said it demonstrates a clear intention to be hurtful, to be harmful and incite harm.

He said it promotes and propagates hatred against black people and constitutes hate speech.

TimesLIVE