‘Don’t Throw It Away’: Dad’s Apartheid Name Tag Sparks SA History Debate on Reddit Post
- A Reddit user shared a photo of his father’s old name tag badge featuring the apartheid-era South African flag
- The user said he took the badge from his dad years ago but felt too uncomfortable to wear it or throw it away
- South Africans online were divided on what to do with the piece of family history
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Source: UGC
A South African Reddit user found themselves caught between family sentiment and social anxiety over a small but loaded piece of the past.
On 16 August 2026, Reddit user Exotic_Log194 posted a photo of a gold-bordered name tag reading “VAN ZYL” to the r/south_africa community. On the left side of the badge sat the old South African flag. The user explained that they had quietly taken it from their father some years back and had been holding onto it ever since, unsure what to do next.
“I can’t wear it out in public because it has the old flag on it and I don’t want to offend people or make people think that I’m racist,” Exotic_Log194 wrote.
“I don’t know what to do with it but I also don’t want to toss it out.”
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The post struck a nerve. For many South Africans, objects tied to the apartheid era sit in an uncomfortable space between personal history and painful collective memory.
What to do with apartheid-era objects
The badge itself is a relic of a time when the old South African flag was standard on government and military insignia. During the apartheid era, white South African men were conscripted into military service, and name tags like this one were commonplace. For families who lived through that period, items like these are often tucked quietly into drawers or shoeboxes, neither displayed nor discarded.
Exotic_Log194’s dilemma resonated with many who faced similar choices about inherited objects carrying complicated histories.
Source: Getty Images
Mzansi weighs in
Commenters on the r/south_africa thread had plenty of opinions, and most agreed on one thing: do not throw it away.
@onethousandeyelids said:
“You could probably find some collector for old items like this. There are always people into old military items regardless.”
@ClassicCartoonist271 wrote:
“Don’t toss it. If you try erasing the past, it’s likely to recur, is what the wise say. Was your Dad in the military?”
@Balstrome kept it simple:
“Put it in the drawer and continue on with your life.”
@Remarkable-Role3230 added:
“Keep it, it’s a family memento. Just don’t ever take it outside. But you’ll regret throwing it away if you do.”
@teddyslayerza agreed:
“Put it in a box of mementoes and move along. Wearing it would be weird.”
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Source: Briefly News
