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The company and retailer Clicks were criticized for the offensive ad on its website, which called black women’s hair “dry, damaged, and frizzy” compared to white women’s hair that was labeled “normal.”
FILE: Minister of Small Business Development Khumbudzo Ntshavheni. Image: Xanderleigh Dookey / EWN
JOHANNESBURG – The Small Business Development Department said Thursday that Unilever’s decision to withdraw its TRESemmé products from retail stores nationwide for 10 days did not go far enough to amend its racist ad.
The company and retailer Clicks were criticized for the offensive ad on its website, which said that black women’s hair was “dry, damaged and frizzy” compared to a white woman’s hair that was labeled “normal.” .
Clicks was forced to close its doors after at least 400 stores were vandalized during nationwide protests this week.
Following discussions with the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), Unilever agreed to remove TRESemmé products from retail stores across the country as a demonstration of its remorse for the offensive and racist ad used in its hair campaign.
However, the Minister of Small Business Development, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, criticized his response as inadequate.
“I don’t think that’s good enough. Why can’t Unilever commit to licensing some of the South African brands as well and putting them on the shelf? I think we must commit them to take more action, ”said Ntshavheni.
“You will recall that this is not the first incident involving Unilever licensed products in South Africa and racial undertones or racism itself,” he added.
Following Clicks’ lead, more retailers, including Dis-Chem, Shoprite and Makro, opted to remove TRESemmé products from their shelves.
Ntshavheni said the empty shelves would be replaced by local products.
“We are committed to Pick n Pay with a similar attitude to say how we can improve their local products. We hope to get the same traction that we got with Clicks with other retailers, ”he said.
Unilever said that the director involved in the campaign had left the company and the country, while the necessary disciplinary measures would be taken against those involved.
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