DA leader Natasha Mazzone is trending for all the wrong reasons. The opposition party’s chief whip thought she’d hammered in on EFF leader Floyd Shivambu’s pricey shoes but, instead, exposed a microaggression she may have towards successful black people.
Natasha Mazzone slammed for profiling Shivambu
At least, the latter is the sentiment that has sparked backlash against Mazzone’s tweet.
Shivambu was part of the EFF battalion that ambushed Clicks retail stores in revolt against the cosmetic giant’s epic and racially triggering website blunder.
Wholly opposed to the riots, Mazzone fixed her attention towards Shivambu’s Prada loafers, a pair of shoes that — in the chief whip’s view — don’t belong in the setting.
Renowned author Ottilla Maundanidze accused Mazzone of amplifying systemic racism.
“There is something deeply racist about the way the wealth (or financial & fashion choices) of Black people is instrumentalised & weaponised in this way. You could, as many have, focus on the issues… instead you, ironically, chose to amplify systemic racism. Well done, Natasha,” she tweeted.
Here are more reactions from people who found Mazzone’s comments vile and repulsive:
Clicks suspend employees: Here’s what we know
Clicks had vowed to stay open amid threats of a nationwide shutdown. The EFF led a strategic attack of the cosmetic giant’s financial standing.
Stores in different parts of South Africa were broken into and ransacked. At this point, the only corrective measure for Clicks to undertake a punitive process against those responsible for uploading the controversial images that depicted black natural hair as “dry and dull”.
Clicks Group CEO, Vikesh Ramsunder made the announcement in a statement that was published on eNCA, describing what happened as disappointing.
“I am deeply disappointed. I couldn’t believe this happened within our organisation because until Thursday I thought we were in the right direction around transformation we have done enormous work.
“More than 80-percent of our employees are black but what I have come to realise is that I have a lot more work to do in the organisation. I can always pass the bark to Unilever which I am not doing, I can do what I am doing in my organisation to make sure that this does not repeat itself,” Ramsunder said.
Further action will be taken against the employees whose identities remain unknown at this stage.