The tweet sparked responses from women who were quick to point out that by the former minister’s standards, the hairstyle was “not natural”, as it is braiding with natural and hair extensions.
Others claimed Mboweni had no right to comment on black women’s hair and said they should be allowed to do whatever they like.
Mboweni said he was not “making an opinion” about black women’s hair and told his followers not to burn him at the stake.
He said: “But honestly, in a democratic country, should we not freely discuss black awareness. Loving who we are and not artificial Brazilian or Chinese whigs [sic].”
Tito Mboweni weighs in on black women loving their African hair, ‘not artificial Brazilian or Chinese wigs’
Image: Elmond Jiyane/GCIS
Former finance minister Tito Mboweni has ruffled feathers on social media by weighing in on the debate around weaves versus natural hair.
It started after he shared two pictures of a woman sporting braided hair with the caption: “I came across this African cornrows hairstyle. Beautiful when we are proud of our natural African hair.”
The tweet sparked responses from women who were quick to point out that by the former minister’s standards, the hairstyle was “not natural”, as it is braiding with natural and hair extensions.
Others claimed Mboweni had no right to comment on black women’s hair and said they should be allowed to do whatever they like.
Mboweni said he was not “making an opinion” about black women’s hair and told his followers not to burn him at the stake.
He said: “But honestly, in a democratic country, should we not freely discuss black awareness. Loving who we are and not artificial Brazilian or Chinese whigs [sic].”
Did the former minister take it too far?
Here are some of the responses:
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