Cat fight on the pageant catwalk

It was reported that, what has been dubbed the first annual Miss Africa pageant, to be held in October, could be a fake one running on the coat-tails of the well-established Miss Africa pageant which was started in 2002.

Miss Africa 2015 is the newest pageant to be held by Neo Mashishi, executive managing director at ProAct Marketing and Communication, and is set to debut in October.

Since the launch of the event – which is being called the first Miss Africa – at Constitution Hill on 16 May, it has come to the attention of Carolyn Botha, who claims to have ownership of the Miss Africa trademark.

Botha contacted Caxton Local Newspapers to explain that she was the sole owner of the rights to use the Miss Africa name, as she has done since the inception of her pageants in 2002.

She claimed that Mashishi contacted her earlier this year to ask for assistance with launching the pageant, to which she responded that he may not, as she had the rights to the trademark. She then claimed to have extended an offer to Mashishi to join the Miss Africa pageants or buy the trademark from her, which he allegedly refused.

Mashishi was contacted for comment on the situation and responded, “In my opinion she wants to monopolise all pageants.” He then claimed that Botha’s pageant was not registered or trademarked, a claim to which she responded by sending the registered trademarks to Caxton.

Mashishi claimed that he has not made contact with her other than to respond to Botha’s cease and desist order for the Facebook page for Miss Africa 2015 that he owns.

On further investigation, a trademark application letter was found, having been previously sent by Mashishi to Caxton. The letter seems to be an amendment application, rather than the trademark certificate itself, and when Mashishi was asked about it, he stated that it was ‘legal enough’.

Both parties have taken legal action.