Human Rights Commission and H&M meet amid claims of racism
Updated | By JacarandaFM News
The South African Human Rights
Commission (SAHRC) met with representatives of retailer H&M to discuss the
recent advertising campaign that sparked protests at their South African stores.

Members of the Economic Freedom Fighters targeted several H&M stores following an advertisement featuring a black child wearing a green top with the inscription “coolest monkey in the jungle”.
The commission says it used the meeting to explain to H&M the hurtful consequences of their campaign.
"In the context of South Africa, words such as 'baboon' and 'monkey' are not neutral, and were used to demean the fundamental humanity of black people. This association was used to rationalise the construction of a race-based caste system, which positioned certain races as superior to others,” says SAHRC spokesperson, Gail Smith.
H&M’s Rob Hekker says the retailer reiterated the apology it issued earlier this week, but admitted that it is not enough to mend the broken fences.
"We made a terrible mistake and we would like South Africans to understand that it will never happen again.”
H&M has committed to instituting diversity training for its staff and to devising a plan to address the issues that the advertising campaign had raised.
"H&M has agreed to provide the commission with a copy of the plan, by no later than Friday 26 January, so that we can provide input before finalisation," says Smith.
The commission says it has made attempts to engage the EFF on the matter, but these attempts have been unsuccessful.
Show's Stories
-
VIDEO: Dricus du Plessis teaches Aussie pranksters a lesson
You do not want to pick a fight with a UFC champion!
The Drive with Rob & Roz 30 minutes ago -
Air pollution fuels lung cancer among non-smokers: study
Air pollution is fuelling a rise in the commonest form of lung cancer am...
The Drive with Rob & Roz 3 hours ago