The High Court in Johannesburg will rule on Thursday on an application by Cell C for an urgent interim interdict against a banner.<\/p>\n
The banner was put up by one George Prokas at the WorldWear Mall on Beyers Naude Drive on November 6.<\/p>\n
It bears a logo resembling the Cell C one and read: “The most useless service provider in SA — Cell C Sandton City.”<\/p>\n
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”.<\/p>\n
Christopher Whittcutt, for Cell C, argued on Wednesday that the banner was a defamatory statement.<\/p>\n
Shem Symon, for Prokas, questioned how the cellphone provider could ask for an interim interdict for something that had already happened.<\/p>\n
“I don’t really understand, after it has already happened and after it has gone viral,” he said.<\/p>\n
The dispute arose from a phone Prokas had taken up for his son with Cell C in 2013. The phone’s indicated number turned out to belong to and was being used by a different person, who ran up a bill of R5000.<\/p>\n
When attempting to buy a car earlier in 2014, Prokas discovered he was listed as a bad debtor as a result of the unpaid R5000.<\/p>\n
He sought to have the bill waived by Cell C but that did not happen. Prokas exchanged e-mails with Cell C, indicating he would put the banner up unless his complaints were dealt with.<\/p>\n
Anti-Cell C banner creator \u201cthe hell in\u201d<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Cell C on why it went to court over billboard<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Cell C takes legal action against \u201cmost useless\u201d banner<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n