Engaging in lawlessness not the way to resolve conflict – government

Government says it has noted the public outrage following the Clicks advertisement where black hair is portrayed as “dry and damaged” but condemned acts of lawlessness of vandalising and burning down Clicks stores.

“As this matter is being ventilated, government calls on all South Africans to resist the temptation to take the law into their own hands, remain calm and follow the correct and legal channels to address their concerns.  Members of the public who witness any form of intimidation or act of violence should contact the nearest police station or call the toll free number: 10 111 to report such incidents,” said spokesperson Phumla Williams in a statement.

“We remain committed to the values of democracy.  Any form of discrimination or violation of human rights for whatever reason cannot be tolerated as it undermines the progress made in building a united democratic country,” said Minister in the Presidency, Jackson Mthembu.

“Even in the face of resistance by a small minority, we continue with efforts to build a united South Africa that we can all be proud of. As we launch Heritage Month today, we are reminded of the many cultures, traditions and languages that make us who we are. In the spirit of social cohesion, let us all cherish and respect one another regardless of color, background, gender and religion,” Mthembu added.

Also read: SAHRC launches investigation into Clicks advert

The store is in hot water following adverts published on its website, labelling black hair as “frizzy and dull” and white hair as “normal”.

The brand was called out for publishing the “racist” advert and has since apologised for the blunder.

“We sincerely apologise for offending our customers and letting you down. We acted swiftly and immediately removed the offending images which were provided by a supplier as part of their marketing campaign. As a brand we recognise that we have a responsibility to use whatever influence we have to remove implicit and explicit prejudice from society, the workplace and our advertising.

“We recognise that we have a role to play in how we represent our diverse customer base in our own and supplier advertising and we sincerely apologise for failing you. We know that we need to do better and commit to making sure that our content reflects the diverse voices and experiences of our customers,” said Rachel Wrigglesworth, Clicks Chief Commercial Officer.