Basetsana Kumalo. Picture: Instagram
Durban - South African businesswoman, television personality and former beauty queen, Basetsana Kumalo, has added her voice to the call calling for a change in the way African hair is viewed in the beauty industry.
Kumalo took to social media on Tuesday to share a video of herself and her daughter, Bontle. In the video, she calls out Clicks, Tresemme and Unilever for the publishing of an article depicting African hair. The advert has sparked violent protests across malls with EFF supporters vowing to ensure that the stores remain closed for the rest of the week.
Posted with the hashtags, #DontTouchOurHair, #EnoughIsEnough and #BlackIsBeautiful, Kumalo said black women's hair was a political issue.
"When we wear dreads or an afro for that matter, in the corporate world, it is seen as rebellion for some reason," she said.
Kumalo said she had joined the narrative about black beauty a long time ago and will not be silent when she sees the continued portrayal of white hair as not just the norm but the standard.
I decided to respond to the #TRESemme & #Clicksadvert with a clear statement I hope they will hear - Don't Touch Our Hair.#DontTouchOurHair#EnoughIsEnough#BlackIsBeautiful pic.twitter.com/siHi4bfsOK
— Basetsana Kumalo (@basetsanakumalo) September 8, 2020
She slammed Clicks, TRESemmé and Unilever for describing African hair as "dry", "brittle" and "damaged".
"Where does the buck stop? Did you expect us to look the other way...as you subconsciously feed us absent-minded vitriol about our image as African people. This advert is not only utter rubbish from your brands. It is a reflection of an ongoing problem in this industry that dares to define what beauty is to any of us," she said.
Describing herself as the mother of a beautiful African child and a daughter of the African soil, Kumalo called the ad “utter rubbish”.
On Tuesday, Clicks announced that they have delisted all TRESemmé products from their stores.
CEO Vikesh Ramsunder said all employees involved in publishing the advert have been suspended and Clicks had accepted the resignation of the senior executive responsible for the advert. Ramsunder added that Clicks will be replacing the gap with locally sourced haircare brands, of which Clicks has an extensive range already. Furthermore, Clicks will be engaging with all suppliers to enforce their ethical code of conduct.
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