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The General Treasurer of the EFF Omphile Maotwe at Menlyn Mall in Pretoria during the closing of Clicks stores.
- EFF leader Julius Malema led his party’s protest against Clicks in Polokwane on Monday.
- In a video posted on Twitter, Malema could be seen closing the doors of a Clicks store.
- Malema said her party did not accept Clicks’ subsequent apology for her characterization of black women’s hair as “dry, damaged.” in an advertisement.
EFF leader Julius Malema has promised that party members will ensure that Clicks stores remain closed for the entire week over the controversial advertisement suggesting that black women’s hair was inferior.
Clicks has found itself in the middle of a storm for an ad that its CEO labeled “insensitive and offensive.”
There was public outrage last week after the website of the pharmaceutical and cosmetic retailer posted an ad in which the phrases “boring and damaged” and “curly and boring” were used over images of black women, while descriptions “normal” and “fine and flat”. they were used on two images of white women.
READ | Click ad row – customers get angry describing natural black hair as ‘dry, damaged’
On Monday, Malema took a group of party supporters to the Mall of the North in Polokwane, Limpopo, to demand the closure of the Clicks store. His arrival caused panic and several other stores in the mall closed their doors for most of the day.
However, Malema said there was no need for the other stores to close as their target was Clicks. Other Clicks stores in other shopping complexes and in the city center were also forced to close their doors.
He said:
We are here to peacefully tell Clicks that racism is violence and that the only way to defeat violence is through violence.
“We are saying that they should close all week because they value money more than humanity. They wanted to make money with [sic] our expense, “Malema said.
He said the reason behind the demand that Clicks stores across the country stay closed for the entire week was “to make them lose money.”
ROLLING COVER | EFF members protest at Clicks stores across the country
“Since you wanted to make money at our expense, we are going to make you lose money because you love money more than humanity,” he said.
After the storm broke, the EFF demanded that Clicks release the names of the directors and employees behind the announcement and that they be fired with immediate effect. Clicks did not comply with the demands, but issued an apology.
On Monday morning, Clicks CEO Vikesh Ramsunder said the employees involved in creating and running the ad had been suspended.
Malema said that his party has rejected the apology as Clicks did not comply with its demands.
“We are not going to accept any apology that is not accompanied by justice. We want someone to be held accountable,” Malema said.
