The governing party said it agreed with the court that the display of the apartheid-era flag “impairs the dignity of black people and that those who display the apartheid flag consciously choose oppression over liberation”.

The EFF said the ruling was grounds for all symbols that represent the pre-democracy South Africa — such as statues and the Die Stem version of the national anthem — to be done away with.

“Long have we said that the apartheid flag, as well as all other apartheid symbols, must fall. We welcome this ruling as a milestone and victory in favour of all those who have been calling for the apartheid and colonial symbols in society to fall,” said EFF spokesperson Mbuyiseni Ndlozi.

“It must be common cause that the apartheid national anthem must follow after its flag. The apartheid flag and its anthem belong to the same species. They are the two sides of one coin. When white supremacists display the flag, they salute it by singing Die Stem because they belong in the same anti-black racism performance acts.