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Mandela awaits Calder's answer
13/07/2005 16:37 - (SA)
Johannesburg - Lawyers for former president Nelson Mandela are waiting for art publisher Ross Calder to respond in a court application preventing the sale of artworks bearing Mandela's name.
"We have received only (lawyer Ismael) Ayob's response. We are still waiting for Calder's," said Mandela's advocate, Bally Chuene, on Wednesday.
Once Calder, who is Ayob's business associate, had submitted his response, Mandela's legal team then had 15 days to respond.
"Once we have replied, then we will be able to set the matter down to be formally argued, at a date for which we must apply," Chuene said.
Chuene was unwilling to comment on Ayob's affidavit, extracts of which were published in The Star on Wednesday, saying he had not read the story.
According to the report, Ayob claims to be the victim of a campaign by Mandela and advocate George Bizos to embarrass and humiliate him publicly.
Mandela, Ayob battle it out
Ayob, in his affidavit, claimed Mandela was aware of agreements to sell artworks bearing his name, The Star wrote.
'Raising funds for charities'
Mandela is arguing that Ayob set up companies in which Ayob was sole shareholder or beneficiary to exploit Mandela's name, the report said.
A project by Mandela to produce signed, limited edition paintings of his years in prison was reportedly aimed at raising funds for charities bearing Mandela's name. The works were snapped up overseas by celebrity buyers.
The former president stopped signing the artworks soon after, in the hope that all the copies would be exhausted, but it emerged Calder and Ayob allegedly reproduced an unknown number of copies.
Mandela claims he was tricked into signing a contract with Tinancier, a company owned by Ayob, and wants it to be set aside. The contract, signed in 2001, transfers Mandela's intellectual copyright to the company - but Mandela claims he was made aware of Tinancier's existence only in April.
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