DJ Cleo took to social media to praise newly crowned Miss SA Zozibini Tunzi for rocking a unique hairstyle that set her apart from the rest of her contenders
Sounds perfectly acceptable, right?
Except, maybe for the part where he claims it was her 'R30 haircut' pitted against her competitors 'R5000 wigs/weaves' that made her an “ambassador for African beauty”.
"A girl with a R30 haircut won the Miss SA won the pageant against R5000 wigs/weaves. I simply love this natural look. Zozobini Tunzi is an ambassador for African beauty. No wigs/weaves for SA's most beautiful lady," read the post which the DJ shared on his account.
Cleo further stoked the flames by captioning the post: "If @zozitunzi is not an inspiration to all young girls then andizi #TheShallowWillMissThePoint".
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It's safe to say that many fans found Cleo's post pretty offensive
After all the subject of natural vs artificial hair is a sensitive and very debatable one.
The comments section was filled with criticism from fans who questioned what Cleo was really trying to say.
Many wondered what Zozibini's hair had to do with her win at the prestigious pageant.
"Thinking the hairstyle had anything to do with her winning is just childish and shallow," claimed one fan, whilst another read; "She certainly didn't win because of her hair. She won because of a whole lot of other attributes which are now being reduced to a ‘R30 haircut’, give her a bit more credit, and no we're not missing the point."
Another added; "It would be nice to look beyond the natural hair and find the real gem beneath”.
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The there were some who had a problem with the price tag (some claimed it was in fact CHEAPER than R30 in certain areas). “Lol but that cut isn't R30 bro,” quipped one fan.
On the flipside, some fans claimed Cleo was on point with his analysis
"We're still mentally colonized until we realize we are beautiful as we are" and "the point is at least she embraces her ‘Africanness’ and is not trying to be too artificial”, were some of the comments in favour of the post.
And some even took it a step further and demanded that in addition to her natural hair, Zozibini should remove her makeup too!
“I call upon all men in SA to urgently go on strike against this fake beauty (weave and make up), we demand our African beauty back now!!!! Down with weave and make up,” claimed one zealous fan.
If you watched Miss SA you'll know that Zozibini was chosen for her more than what some think is a ‘cheap’ haircut
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Yes, her natural hair adds to her beauty. But like many fans pointed out, she's more than just hair.
Weave or no weave, Zozibini is intelligent, articulate and strong-willed, amoungst many other admiral attributes.
