DA to report H&M to International Chamber of Commerce over racist ad

15 January 2018

The DA will today write to the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) to lodge an official complaint against the retail giant H&M for the racist advert involving a black child modelling a racially-insensitive hoodie.

The DA is of the belief that H&M’s racist advert is in violation of the ICC’s marketing guidelines. In terms of Article 4 under subsection; “General provisions on advertising and marketing communication practice” of the ICC’s Code of Advertising and Marketing Communication Practice, members should at all times “respect human dignity and should not incite or condone any form of discrimination, including that based upon race…”, in their marketing communication.

It is clear that H&M have violated the ICC’s code of advertising with their racially-discriminatory advert. We therefore request that the ICC, as the foremost retail authority, fully investigate this incident and institute appropriate sanctions once an investigation has been completed.

The DA will also write to H&M South Africa to express our deep concern over this tasteless advert which evokes painful sentiments among Black South Africans as well as the Black community abroad. H&M SA now has an obligation to register these concerns with their monitoring body as the fight against institutional racism is a fight we must all take on.

The DA strongly condemns destruction of property and vandalism. The displays of violence at H&M stores across the country are totally unacceptable and violence is no way to fight racism but only compounds it.

The EFF’s method to fight racism crosses into a criminal act and that should be strongly condemned. The DA calls on the EFF leadership to find more constructive and appropriate means to fight the scourge of racism that’s still very present in our society.

The DA also urges others in the corporate sector to be more socially-responsible and promote racial, cultural and ideological diversity.

Issued by Refiloe Nt'sekhe, DA National Spokesperson, 15 January 2018