Tuesday, September 08, 2020
The Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg has found in fovour of the Clicks Retailers to prohibit protesters of black hair saga from “intimidating and threatening” violence against its staff and operational activities.
The health and beauty pharmaceutical giant got embroiled in a scandalous advertisement that depicted black women hair as “dry and damaged”, and “frizzy and dull”. In the same vein, it portrayed white women hair as “fine and flat”, and “normal”.
The ad enraged scores of South Africans nationwide and went viral. The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) General Secretary Marshall Dlamini, the defendant in this hair raising scandal, urged the citizens to protest en masse against Clicks when the advert went public and viral.
The EFF noted the latest court judgment when speaking to Power98.7 FM, a Johannesburg radio station. The firebrand political party said it will continue with its peaceful action as envisaged from the beginning. However, it warned that it will respond should the Clicks “private security” guards provoke them.
The advert has since been withdrawn and apology rendered by the pharmacy store.
EWN is reported on Tuesday that Minister of Small Business Development Khumbudzo Ntshavheni that its [Clicks] apology is rejected. It said:
“The minister is now urging Clicks to remove TRESemme products from its shelves as an expression of its disassociation with suppliers who promote racist and insensitivity marketing.”
As reported on this site, Clicks Group CEO Vikesh Ramsunder said steps are under way to deal with the highly divisive racial advert. He also said that five staff members have been put on leave pending the outcome of the investigation.
According to Ramsunder, Clicks received the advertisement from TRESemmé which is owned by Uniliver, a multinational manufacturer of fast moving consumer goods (FMCG).
Today’s court application was the second one brought by Clicks in light of the one that was thrown out on Monday.
The ruling, however, does not deter the continuation of peaceful protests.