EFF gives 24-hour ultimatum to Clicks over ‘racially insensitive’ hair advert
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) have given Clicks a list of demands that must be met within 24 hours.
Clicks hair ad: EFF responds
As per a statement shared on social media on Friday evening, 4 September 2020, Clicks has until Saturday evening to publicly list the names of the “directors and employees who were involved in the commissioning of the advert”.
In addition, the EFF demands that “all people who were involved, whether they be employees of Clicks or independent contractors be dismissed with immediate effect”.
Furthermore, the EFF is also calling on Clicks to publicly list the name of services and contractors who commissioned the advert, and demand that these conditions “be put in writing […] and commissioned within 24 hours”.
The EFF warns that if Clicks does not meet the party’s demands and deadline, “Clicks stores in South Africa will be closed without any further notice”.
“We urge you to take this letter seriously, as it is our last and final communication with your organisation until our demands are met.”
‘Disgusting racist advert’
The list of demands follows after the party noted the “disgusting racist advert put out by pharmaceutical outlet Clicks, which displays the hair of Black women as inferior to that of white women”.
The EFF explained that Clicks’ transgression goes beyond “a simple advert” in that it represents the cornerstone for anti-black racism, especially when taking into consideration the practices of the past that still ripple through South Africa today.
The party points out that the “infamous pencil test was used to classify races” in apartheid South Africa. Still today, children are “suspended, expelled and barred from writing their examinations on the basis of having ‘untidy’ hair.
“It is part of a long history of making the features of black people abnormal, insufficient and uncivilised while presenting the white identity and features of white people as the standard for humanness and humanity”.
The EFF added that “Clicks must therefore be regarded as having committed a human rights violation in this regard because their advert is a perpetuation of the violence of colonialism and racism.
The party called on “all progressive forces to embark on direct action to ensure Clicks is held accountable for their racism”.
Clicks’ apology
Clicks on Friday issued an apology for the racially insensitive hair campaign after the company was slammed for labelling Black people’s hair as frizzy, dull, dry and damaged, while white people’s hair was labelled as “normal, fine and flat.”.
The ad went viral on social media, followed by the hashtag #ClicksMustFall. Clicks later issued another apology in the way of responding to a user on Twitter, saying:
“Hi, thank you for bringing this to our attention. We apologise for the offence this has caused. We have removed the images and will ensure that this does not happen again.”
In a second apology, or what some are referring to as nopology, Clicks said it “removed the images which go against everything we believe in. The company added that it doesn’t condone racism and “are strong advocates of natural hair.”
No comments: