Spin doctor to cough up for botched PR job

A WELL-KNOWN spin doctor to Durban’s high-flyers, Vuyo Mkhize, has been ordered to pay millions to Unilever in connection with an Axe jet PR campaign that failed to get off the ground.

Mkhize, who has previously acted as a spokesman for Deputy Agriculture Minister Bheki Cele, socialites Shauwn and Sbu Mpisane and taxi boss Mandla Gcaba, had a default judgment of about R3.8 million granted against him in the Durban High Court in July 2013.

The matter relates to a civil action Unilever brought against Mkhize and his company Kapital Mindz in 2012. Mkhize had launched a counter-claim against the company for R7.6m in damages, but this was dismissed by the court.

The case went to trial with evidence being led, but when Mkhize’s lawyers failed to appear at the finalisation of the case, the court granted the order against him.

This week, household goods including televisions and couches, which had been attached and seized as a result of the judgment, were auctioned.

But Mkhize told The Star’s sister newspaper, The Mercury, yesterday that he would be challenging the default judgment.

He said he had not been aware that the case was in court on the day the judgment was granted as his legal team had withdrawn, and he claimed that the notice of set down had not been served on him properly.

Unilever’s attorney, Dean Joubert de Villiers, said Mkhize was properly notified of the court date and the judge would not have granted judgment if he had not been satisfied of this.

De Villiers also said he had helped Mkhize to obtain a copy of the court order a day after it was granted and that the matter had not been challenged to date.

According to court papers, Kapital Mindz was employed by Unilever to do advertising and promotional work for Axe deodorant.

Kapital Mindz suggested that a good promotional venture would be to arrange a trip to Ibiza, Spain, with promotion winners and celebrities, which was to take place in August 2007.

Kapital Mindz agreed to “arrange and co-ordinate the promotion”, including the hire of a jet aircraft to take the guests to Spain.

Unilever claims it paid the company R2.6m for the hire of the plane, accommodation and other miscellaneous travel charges.

However, on the day of the trip, competition winners and celebrities were left stranded at OR Tambo International Airport because the jet did not arrive as the owner said the company had not been paid.

Unilever said it then had to incur expenses to get public relations people to “crisis manage” and to arrange for guests to get to Spain on other flights.

In its plea, Kapital Mindz argued that Unilever’s suit should be dismissed with costs.