South Africa: Woolworths In Storm Over 'Slave Ropes'

The drama began late on Monday when people began posting a picture of the ropes draped over the mannequins and pointing out their resemblance to way in which slaves were chained.

Twitter user Melissa Kububa summed up the general mood with this tweet: "Why do these manikins have ropes tied to them exactly?can @WOOLWORTHS_SA please explain why these manikins are roped". Another Twitter user - LeFa -was more direct: "@WOOLWORTHS_SA The portrayal of #woolworths #Slavery display is cruel and unforgettable!! Apology is not good enough #WoolworthsMustFall".

Woolworth responded to many similar tweets with a standard reponse: "We're so sorry. The ropes are supposed to be used to support Christmas baubles; we're removing them.". Koketso Sachane, host of the early breakfast show on CapeTalk and 702, stepped in to the fray, asking: "Dear @WOOLWORTHS_SA, your repeated one line doesn't make sense. Where were the baubles & since when do u tie them to mannequins?" To which Woolworths replied: "@KoketsoSachane our store installation team have confirmed the ropes are supposed to support the baubles & have been used incorrectly here." It is unclear at the time of writing which Woolworths store was involved.

-IOL-