Following the complaint, thousands of consumers took to the Woolworths SA Facebook page to comment.
A sample of those posts are as follows:
Nomathemba Mnomiya posted: “I saw the dolls at the Rivonia Woolworths, I actually wondered what’s the idea behind the velvet rope.”
Kaycee Mdlozini wrote: “Someone must explain why the ropes are only on black mannequins. Whoever decided the ropes will look better there on a black doll must explain why he thought so. I don’t think it was a mistake. The only mistake here was that management made that decision thinking no one will pick it up and broadcast it, that’s where they made a mistake.”
Lucky Evans Ceo took a different view: “Am not insulted by that rope and am black.”
His comment was met with much criticism, with users accusing him of attempting to be white while others called him names.
Nels Funani said: “This is a spit on the face of every black child that has been supporting you for all these years.”
Siyamkelo Khoza said: “I’m not blaming the white people but I blame the marketing team. I’m sorry but I’m taking this to the papers. My dad was a slave once. When I showed him this picture he told me ‘this is what they used to do to us and I’m deeply hurt’.”
Guz McCall said he found it funny that the ropes were only on those mannequins of colour. “Sorry but it looks like a subtle sick joke,” he wrote.
On Twitter, a hashtag titled #WOOLWORTHSMUSTFALL quickly emerged.
Pictures of shackled slaves were posted, next to the pictures of the Woolworths mannequins.
@Bongani_SP said: “Their display has backfired, now they are trying to spin the mess by saying it’s an incomplete Christmas display.
@Bati_Zo said: “All I want to know is who is getting fired for this?”
Twitter user @fanon_frantz called on all black consumers to boycott Woolworths, saying an apology was not enough.
Woolworths comments
A sample of those posts are as follows:
Nomathemba Mnomiya posted: “I saw the dolls at the Rivonia Woolworths, I actually wondered what’s the idea behind the velvet rope.”
Kaycee Mdlozini wrote: “Someone must explain why the ropes are only on black mannequins. Whoever decided the ropes will look better there on a black doll must explain why he thought so. I don’t think it was a mistake. The only mistake here was that management made that decision thinking no one will pick it up and broadcast it, that’s where they made a mistake.”
Lucky Evans Ceo took a different view: “Am not insulted by that rope and am black.”
His comment was met with much criticism, with users accusing him of attempting to be white while others called him names.
Nels Funani said: “This is a spit on the face of every black child that has been supporting you for all these years.”
Siyamkelo Khoza said: “I’m not blaming the white people but I blame the marketing team. I’m sorry but I’m taking this to the papers. My dad was a slave once. When I showed him this picture he told me ‘this is what they used to do to us and I’m deeply hurt’.”
Guz McCall said he found it funny that the ropes were only on those mannequins of colour. “Sorry but it looks like a subtle sick joke,” he wrote.
On Twitter, a hashtag titled #WOOLWORTHSMUSTFALL quickly emerged.
Pictures of shackled slaves were posted, next to the pictures of the Woolworths mannequins.
@Bongani_SP said: “Their display has backfired, now they are trying to spin the mess by saying it’s an incomplete Christmas display.
@Bati_Zo said: “All I want to know is who is getting fired for this?”
Twitter user @fanon_frantz called on all black consumers to boycott Woolworths, saying an apology was not enough.
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