Photo: News24

Faizel Patel – 10/09/2020

(Twitter: @FaizelPatel143)

Former Public Protector Thuli Madonsela has raised concerns about the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF)’s behavior following the racist TRESemmé advert questioning what would happen to South Africa if the red berets were to rise to power and govern the country.

Madonsela was speaking to Radio Islam on Thursday about the “unconscious bias” attributed to the advert.

The TRESemmé advert published on the Clicks website portrayed black natural hair as “dry, damaged and frizzy” while labeling white women’s hair as “normal”.

EFF leaders mobilised members to close Clicks stores nationwide after the racist advert was published on the retailer’s website.

Madonsela says there are those including the EFF who feel that if racism is not spoken about, it will dwindle away.

“What the EFF has done, it has actually exacerbated racism. Trust me that people are fuming. The swart gevaar that drove apartheid is being reincarnated by the EFF’s behavior. God, if these guys were to govern, God knows if they can go into a shop in a country that is based on the rule of law without the police stopping them, tell people ‘get out of here, lock the shop’ what would happen if these people in were power.”

Madonsela says while the Clicks TRESemmé advert may have been racist, the EFF made it appear that being a white person is wrong and anybody that associates with a white person is committing a crime.

Madonsela says the EFF protest was the language of the unheard and violence was the language of the disempowered and this is not the South Africa she fought for.

“I fought for a South Africa that belongs to everyone. I fought for a South African where nobody have to feel small simply because of the colour of their skin. I know how it feels to feel small because of the color of my skin. If I know how it feels to see my father being treated like a ‘boy’ by a little boy just because the other boy is white. So I don’t want white people to feel like that, black people to feel like, Christians to feel like that, Muslims to feel like that and foreigners. I just want everyone’s humanity to be embraced.”

Madonsela says there is no question that the EFF’s actions smacks of pure politicking with the red berets not allowing South Africans to decide if they want to be part of the party’s crusade or not.

Listen to the interview with Professor Thuli Madonsela