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JOHANNESBURG – President Cyril Ramaphosa has used part of his Heritage Day keynote address to address racism.
Ramaphosa says the controversial Clicks natural hair ad shows that South Africa still has a long way to go.
The president urges businesses and the media to be considerate of the country’s dark past.
READ: South Africa is not yet free: Ramaphosa
“An offensive hair ad that ran recently shows that we still have a long way to go,” Ramaphosa said.
“The apartheid government denigrated our cultures and tried to shame us of our cultures, our traditions, our languages and our very appearances.”
“It is disheartening to see that in democratic South Africa there are still stark stereotypes of black women being publicly displayed.”
“The social cohesion that we seek in this country means that we must be aware of the legacy of our past, whether we are companies that sell products, whether they are producers of content for television or otherwise. Building a united nation means that we must continually be aware of and monitor our own acts of racism and prejudice.
“We come from a history of prejudice and exclusion, and from democracy, we have worked to transform the heritage landscape of our country.”
Check out the full address in the video above.
