Finance minister Tito Mboweni has taken exception to the Clicks shutdown led by the EFF.
The beauty and health retailer made headlines after its stores were trashed following outrage over a racist advert.
The now-removed advert showed the hair of a black woman, describing it as being “dry, damaged, frizzy and dull”, while that of a white woman was described as “fine, flat and normal”.
Many expressed their outrage on social media, calling the advert offensive and racist. The retailer later issued an apology.
Clicks said the advert was not its own and that it was commissioned by the hair company TRESemmé, which also issued an apology on its website, saying the advert was meant to celebrate all hair types, but that they got it wrong. The company says it is investigating how it happened.
The advert caused huge outrage, with the EFF taking action against Clicks by shutting down several of its branches across the country.
TimesLIVE reported that at least 425 Clicks stores were affected by the shutdown and seven were damaged.
Weighing in on the matter, Mboweni said anarchy would not move the country forward.
‘Anarchy is not the motive force of transformation’: Tito Mboweni on Clicks attacks
Image: SUNDAY TIMES/ ESA ALEXANDER
Finance minister Tito Mboweni has taken exception to the Clicks shutdown led by the EFF.
The beauty and health retailer made headlines after its stores were trashed following outrage over a racist advert.
The now-removed advert showed the hair of a black woman, describing it as being “dry, damaged, frizzy and dull”, while that of a white woman was described as “fine, flat and normal”.
Many expressed their outrage on social media, calling the advert offensive and racist. The retailer later issued an apology.
Clicks said the advert was not its own and that it was commissioned by the hair company TRESemmé, which also issued an apology on its website, saying the advert was meant to celebrate all hair types, but that they got it wrong. The company says it is investigating how it happened.
The advert caused huge outrage, with the EFF taking action against Clicks by shutting down several of its branches across the country.
TimesLIVE reported that at least 425 Clicks stores were affected by the shutdown and seven were damaged.
Weighing in on the matter, Mboweni said anarchy would not move the country forward.
According to the Merriam-Webster website, Bakuninism is a doctrine of revolutionary anarchism.
This is not the first time Mboweni has called the EFF “Bakuninists”. He also condemned the destruction of property and business, saying it would come back to haunt the country.
Shutdown repercussion
As the shutdown continues, Clicks announced that it will remain temporarily closed until further notice.
Clicks also said it would delist and remove TRESemmé products from its shelves and replace them with locally sourced hair care products.
An unidentified senior executive at Clicks, who was responsible for the offensive advert, resigned amid the controversy.
The retailer's CEO Vikesh Ramsunder said all staff responsible for publishing the advert had been suspended.
TimesLIVE
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