‘Being Bonang' in name but not rights DEBASHINE THANGEVELO WHY are celebrities continuously being short-changed on contracts? The current lawsuit debacle with Bonang Matheba and her former management agency, Celebrity Services (CSA) Global, over the ownership rights of House of BNG has shone a light on this weighty issue. We know that the music industry is rampant with discords between artists and their record labels. Whether it’s a beef over the rights to their masters, or discontent over the actual contract, it usually ends on acrimonious terms. A perfect example is Taylor Swift’s battle with Scott Borchetta and Scooter Braun of Big Machine Label Group circa the 2019 American Music Awards. Closer to home, rapper AKA (real name Kiernan Jarryd Forbes) weathered his share of legal battles. Last year, he took to Twitter to address his grievance with Reebok for allegedly not remunerating him for his collaboration on the SneAKA limited-edition sneaker collection. Then in August, AKA took legal action against the stakeholders’ Cake Media and MakhuduCom Media and the state broadcaster, after he was replaced by arch-rival Cassper Nyovest on The Braai Show. Now getting back to Matheba’s tug-of-war, how did it
come to this? In November 2017, she signed up as a client of CSA. They were her official management company, handling her various portfolios in entertainment, fashion and, of course, entrepreneurship. I feel I would be remiss if I didn’t point out that Matheba was already a success story when she joined. As one of the biggest stars in Mzansi, she had immense clout, especially on social media. Of course, Matheba signing up with a management company was prudent given that her cup runneth over with opportunities. In the same year that she signed up, she founded Bonang Matheba Entertainment. She has graced more covers than most female icons in the industry. While her autobiography From A to B sullied her flawless achievements, she bounced back with her reality show Being Bonang. Her documentary film Public Figure, got a fair amount of attention. And her prowess as a host is unparalleled. In March 2019, she launched House of BNG amid much fanfare. Anyone who questioned her ownership of the brand was shut down on social media. Two years later, here we are. CSA is accusing Matheba of spreading mistruths, claiming
she was aware of her legal standing with the House of BNG ownership rights. They also allege she neglected to honour her commitments with several brands, including her own. In Matheba’s interview with Sunday Times, she claimed: “I brought that business with me and asked them to facilitate some business activities on my behalf and on behalf of House of BNG.” A statement put out by CSA, read in part: “Ms Matheba and her lawyers are fully familiar with the terms of agreement in which it was stipulated from the onset, prior to joining CSA, that any IP, Trademark, copyright developed by CSA, shall remain in the possession of CSA, especially as we have not been paid to develop such assets, and we are the ones who carry all costs to develop such assets …” Matheba, who is now based in New York, isn’t letting go without a fight. And why should she? Her name, face and clout have been, and continues to be used, to promote the House of BNG. She has worked tirelessly to build her brand, and been exhaustively promoting House of BNG – even in a recent radio interview in the US. If this battle proves anything, it is that celebrities need to really brush up on their business acumen and seek solid legal advice before signing on the dotted line.
