Implementation of the Geneva Conventions Act, 2012 (Act No. 8 of 2012)Chapter 5 : Use and Protection of Emblems14. Protection of flags, emblems, designations, signs, signals, designs, wordings, identity cards, information cards, insignia and uniforms |
| 1) | Subject to Part 3 of the South African Red Cross Society Act, no person may, without the consent of the Minister, use or display for any purpose whatsoever any of the following: |
| a) | The "red cross" contemplated in section 1 of the South African Red Cross Society Act; |
| b) | the "red crescent" contemplated in section 1 of the South African Red Cross Society Act; |
| c) | the emblem in red on, and completely surrounded by, a white ground, that is to say, a lion passing from right to left of, and with its face turned towards, the observer, holding erect in its raised right forepaw a scimitar, with, appearing above the lion's back, the upper half of the sun shooting forth rays, or the designation "Red Lion and Sun"; |
| d) | the emblem of a white or silver cross with vertical and horizontal arms of the same length on, and completely surrounded by, a red ground, being the heraldic emblem of the Swiss Confederation; |
| e) | the sign of an equilateral blue triangle on, and completely surrounded by, an orange ground, being the international distinctive sign of civil defence; |
| f) | any of the distinctive signals specified in Chapter III of Annex I to Protocol I, being the signals of identification for medical units and transports; |
| g) | the sign consisting of a group of three bright orange circles of equal size, placed on the same axis, the distance between each circle being one radius, being the international special sign for works and installations containing dangerous forces; |
| h) | the distinctive emblem of protection of cultural property, namely a shield, pointed below, per saltire blue and white (a shield consisting of a royal-blue square, one of the angles of which forms the point of the shield, and of a royal-blue triangle above the square, the space on either side being taken up by a white triangle); |
| i) | a design, wording or signal so nearly resembling any of the emblems, designations, signs or signals specified in paragraph (a), (b), (c), (d), (e),(f), (g) or (h) as to be capable of being mistaken for or understood as referring to one of those emblems, designations, signs or signals, as the case may be; and |
| j) | such other flags, emblems, designations, signs, signals, designs, wordings, identity cards, information cards, insignia or uniforms as may be prescribed by regulation by the Minister for the purposes of giving effect to the Conventions. |
| 2) | The Minister must give the consent contemplated in subsection (1) in writing and may only give such consent for the purposes of giving effect to the provisions of this Act, the South African Red Cross Society Act and the Conventions. |
| 3) | Section 8 of the South African Red Cross Society Act applies to the Minister with the changes required by the context in respect of any flag, emblem, designation, sign, signal, design, wording, identity card, information card, insignia or uniform contemplated in subsection (1)(c) to (j). |
| 4) | This section also applies to the use outside the Republic of an emblem, designation, sign, signal, design, wording, identity card, identification cards, insignia or uniform contemplated in subsection (1) on any ship or aircraft registered in the Republic. |