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The health and beauty center closed all its outlets Wednesday morning to offer advice and support to staff in the wake of public outrage over a racist ad on its website.
EFF members protest outside a Clicks store in the Sandton City shopping center in Johannesburg on September 7, 2020. Image: Kayleen Morgan / EWN
JOHANNESBURG – Clicks Group non-executive director Nonkululeko Gobodo said Wednesday that she had raised a red flag with management a few months ago for the way she was communicating with black clients.
The health and beauty center closed all its outlets Wednesday morning to offer advice and support to staff in the wake of public outrage over a racist ad on its website.
Clicks faced backlash for approving and showing the ad, which described a black woman’s hair as “dry, damaged and frizzy” compared to white hair, which she labeled “normal.”
Members of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) fanned out across the country this week in an attempt to force Clicks to close, resulting in many stores damaged in the process.
Gobodo said the crisis did not come out of nowhere.
“It’s very strange actually. In the last strategy session, this is what I was asking. How are you talking to your black clients? And there was even a plan and all that. And now, a few months later, it is proven that the plan is not working. We have to insist on inclusion, we want an inclusive economy, ”he said.
Clicks said it would resume operations on Thursday.
The company said Tuesday it was working with the government to make sure it sold more black hair products. A senior executive resigned from his post because of his involvement in the offensive campaign.
The company also confirmed the suspension of the employees involved in the saga.
WATCH: ‘Clicks must go to hell’ – EFF protests racist store ad
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