Photo: GCIS
Photo: GCIS
The firebrand leader of the EFF has vowed to take action against the retailer Clicks on Monday after they were embroiled in a racial scandal last week. An unfortunate marketing campaign that branded black hair as ‘dry and dull’ has landed the firm in all sorts of trouble – and Julius Malema is looking to compound these issues.
Julius Malema on Clicks: EFF leader encourages party members to ‘to take action
Never one to pass up the opportunity to turn the screw on controversial incidents like these, Malema has Tweeted a rallying call to his online following. Juju says that the ‘fellow fighters and ground forces’ of the EFF will ‘attack’ tomorrow. The language is similar to what we heard during the H&M scandal.
@Clicks_SA see you tomorrow. Fellow fighters and ground forces; ATTACK!!!
— Julius Sello Malema (@Julius_S_Malema) September 6, 2020
In 2018, the Swedish retail giants were forced to apologise after their own PR nightmare. The use of a monkey on one of their items – modelled by a black child – caused an international uproar. Sure enough, EFF supporters raided some of their stores to make their frustrations heard loud and clear.
Will the Red Berets go on the rampage?
Whether similar disruptions – such as the forced closure of stores or orchestrated ransackings – will take place on Monday remains to be seen. But Julius Malema has already warned Clicks that they need to take serious action against those who put the advert out in the first place. On Saturday, he demanded that everyone involved in its publication ‘should have their contracts terminated’. Certainly, Juju has cranked-up the rhetoric.
“Do the right thing and suspend all those who were involved in that racist project and terminate the contract of the company that agreed to commission it, if you know what is good for you. Won’t repeat myself…”
Julius Malema on Twitter
Malema has since published a video to his Twitter account, listing directives for those wanting to take part in the protests:
- Malema himself will report to Mall of the North in Polokwane at 9:00.
- Other EFF members have been encouraged to occupy spaces at Clicks stores across the country.
- The goal, according to their official statement, is to shut down as many stores as they can, right up until Friday.
- Shoppers have been warned to ‘go elsewhere’ as the situation could turn volatile.
- The party is hoping to cause significant economic damage to the Clicks brand.
The command is very clear, tomorrow and for the rest of the week, I will report @Clicks_SA Mall of the North in Polokwane at 9am with my ”DRY & DAMAGED HAIR.” #EFFMustRise pic.twitter.com/Or3519j8MO
— Julius Sello Malema (@Julius_S_Malema) September 6, 2020
