Nike Closes South African Stores Following Discovery of Racist Video

The sneaker giant has refused to comment.

Fashion
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Nike closed several South African stores this week following the circulation of a video in which a man reportedly linked to the company used a racial slur. South African media initially brought the clip to light, reporting that the man seen in it, later identified as Adam Catzavelos, was married to a Nike merchandising director.

In the video, Catzavelos, a white man with a South African accent, can be seen wearing a straw hat and reflective shades on a beach assumed to be somewhere near Cape Town. He walks the camera around the beach, stating “Blue skies, beautiful day, amazing sea and not one k*ffir in sight.” Known as the “K-Word” in the region, the phrase is a deeply offensive, apartheid-era slur used to refer to a black person comparable to the “N-Word” in the West. Following the incident, Catzavelos has been publicly shunned on social media.

The Economic Freedom Fighters, which led protests against H&M in January following the insensitive “Coolest Monkey in the Jungle” hoodie, announced plans to file a criminal complaint against Catzavelos. When asked to comment, Nike issued a statement reaffirming its “long-standing commitment to diversity, inclusion and respect,” emphasizing that Catzavelos was not a company employee. Currently South African media has confirmed the closure of several Nike stores, including two at a mall in Johannesburg’s Sandton district.

Watch the offending clip on The Independent.

Nike most recently faced controversy in London, where officials took umbrage with the sportswear giant’s Matthew Williams-designed balaclava.

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