 Following its official retirement as the flag of South Africa, the Oranje, Blanje, Blou was adopted by some white South Africans as being a symbol of Afrikaner heritage and history. Many South Africans still view it as a symbol of apartheid, and therefore strongly discouraged its use. Despite the negative associations, it was never banned by the Government of South Africa post-1994 and the right to display it in South Africa is protected under Chapter Two of the Constitution of South Africa as an expression of free speech. In the 21st century, usage of the "Oranje, Blanje, Blou" experienced a revival of display as a symbol by white supremacists worldwide. A particular awareness of this followed the shooting at a Charleston, South Carolina black church in 2015, as the suspect Dylann Roof had previously been pictured wearing a jacket with the "Oranje, Blanje, Blou" and the flag of Rhodesia on it. This association with apartheid and racism often led to calls for the flags that were used in a historical context, to be removed from display. An example of this is Cooma, Australia, where it is flown to commemorate South African workers in the Snowy Mountains Scheme alongside the Canadian Red Ensign and other flags from 1956 when the scheme was created.
