The high court in Johannesburg will hear an urgent application this week from Cell C to have a banner set up by a disgruntled customer removed, the company said on Monday.
“Today the court indicated that the case will be heard on Wednesday to afford the other parties time to respond,” spokesman Candice Jones said.
“Cell C was compelled to take such action because the billboard contains the personal contact details of one of our valued employees.
“We also argue in our application that the billboard is defamatory, makes unauthorised use of our trademark and appears to have been put up in contravention of by-laws.”
Another spokesman, Karin Fourie, said earlier that the application was against the WorldWear Mall along Beyers Naude Drive in Johannesburg, and the customer.
“Letters of demand to remove the banner were issued to both the customer and the centre management at WorldWear Mall on Thursday evening,” Fourie said.
“Our demands were ignored by both the customer and the centre management and Cell C had to launch an urgent application to have the banner removed.”
The banner bearing a logo resembling the Cell C one, with several differences, was prominently displayed on the outside wall of the WorldWear Mall along the busy Beyers Naude Drive.
“The most useless service provider in SA — Cell C Sandton City,” it read.
It gave the name of the franchise manager and his phone number, claiming he had said that his “unnamed executive head refuses to assist the customer”. — Sapa