FRAME FREEZE
Photographer demands R3m for NDZ photo
Just days away from the ANC elective conference, the Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma campaign has been plunged into a copyright row over its official portrait of her.
Local photographer Neo Ntsoma said the campaign was using her photo without permission and she wanted R3-million in compensation.
Ntsoma took pictures of Dlamini-Zuma after being commissioned to do so by the AU Foundation last June, when Dlamini-Zuma was still chairwoman of the AU Commission.
She said she had no idea one of her pictures would be used in Dlamini-Zuma’s campaign to become the next ANC president.
The picture, a head-and-shoulders shot of Dlamini-Zuma smiling in a fuchsia headwrap and matching dress, has been widely used as the official portrait of her campaign. It has been used on her campaign website Nkosazana.com and on her social media platforms.
Ntsoma said she had only agreed for the picture to appear on the AU Foundation website.
“They [the campaign] did not buy the rights of the picture from me . . . I have been trying to get hold of the NDZ people since March when they first used my picture for Dlamini-Zuma’s welcome-home events,” Ntsoma told the Sunday Times.
Ntsoma’s lawyer said a letter of demand had been sent to the Dlamini-Zuma campaign, and it was hoped that the campaign would be willing to negotiate a settlement.
“If we can’t settle we will then consider a court application for an interdict and then a damages claim,” said the lawyer, who asked not to be named.
Dlamini-Zuma’s communication manager, Vukani Lumumba, confirmed that the campaign was aware of Ntsoma’s complaint but said it had received permission to use the picture from the chief operating officer of the AU Foundation, Dumisani Mngadi.
Lumumba said that he had been trying to resolve the matter with Ntsoma, with little success.
“I met with her lawyers and I said that if we caused you harm we apologise. We want to sort this out amicably,” he said.
Lumumba said the campaign had no intention of breaching anyone’s copyright and respected artists and their work.
Mngadi did not respond to a request for comment.