Clicks has come under fire for a hair product ad, which labelled black hair as ‘dry, frizzy and damaged’, and drew widespread outrage from South Africans.
EFF members protest outside a Clicks store at the Sandton City shopping centre in Johannesburg on 7 September 2020. Picture: Kayleen Morgan/EWN
JOHANNESBURG – The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) is expected to meet with the management of Clicks on Thursday amid protests by the party after the retail pharmacy company published a racist advert on its website.
Clicks came under fire for the ad, which labelled black hair as “dry, frizzy and damaged”, and drew widespread outrage from South Africans.
The EFF staged protests at malls and shopping centres across the country demanding that Clicks stores be shut and that those behind the ad be fired.
TRESemmé, which was responsible for the ad, apologised but that did not stop local retailers from pulling it off its shelves.
Pick n Pay stores, Checkers, Shoprite, and Woolworths are among those who stopped the sale of all TRESemmé products following its racist ad about black hair.
“Woolworths has taken the decision to remove all TRESemmé products from our shelves with immediate effect. As a company, we are deeply aware of our responsibility to confront racial prejudice and disparities when they are identified. We do not support the racial biases expressed in the TRESemmé campaign,” said Woolworth said in statement on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Clicks CEO Vikesh Ramsunder and his team were expected to meet with EFF leader Julius Malema at the red beret’s headquarters in Braamfontein on Thursday morning.
Malema told his members to maintain the highest level of discipline as they continue to defend the dignity of black people.
WATCH: EFF members protest outside Clicks store
