'Madiba art' to hit TV screens

2005-05-26 22:11

Yvonne Beyers

Pretoria - Television viewers will be able to watch next week how the legal teams of former president Nelson Mandela and his one-time lawyer with his partner tackle each other in Johannesburg High Court.

After an urgent application in Johannesburg High Court, the SABC got permission on Thursday to film and broadcast the court battle between the former president and Ismail Ayob, Madiba's legal advisor during the struggle years.

Ayob is appearing with his partner, Ross Calder, who markets and sells the so-called "Madiba Art".

The court agreement states that the SABC can't broadcast "live" from the court, but can film "highlights" for the news bulletins.

On Tuesday, Mandela's legal team will ask that Calder and Ayob immediately stop marketing, distributing and selling the former president's artworks.

Wants contract to be nullified

Calder and Ayob also will be asked to supply Madiba's legal team with audited financial statements of their respective companies.

The legal team, headed by advocates Vincent Maleka and Bally Chuene, will further ask that a 2001 contract in which Mandela allegedly signed his name and rights over to Ayob be declared illegal, or null and void.

Mandela also asks that Ayob and his wife, Zamila, immediately resign from their positions as trustees of the Mandela Trust, the Nelson Mandela Trust and the NRM Family Trust.

Earlier, Ayob and Calder indicated that they would oppose certain aspects of the application, but by Thursday afternoon, they had yet to lodge their sworn statements and questions with the court.

- Beeld