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Tawanda Marwizi and Tawanda Matanhire —
Mambokadzi, the pioneers of female dance group phenomenon, are embroiled in a storm with arts promotion organisation over the moniker.

The popular dance group that hogged the limelight at the turn of the century has issued a warning to Mambokadzi African Media against using their name.

The dance group director Enisia Mushusha said she is mulling legal action against the media group. However, the media group has dismissed the threats saying the name was universal and did not belong to anyone.

Mushusha said the issue has caused confusion among people saying she would use proper channels to fight for the name.

“I am still to find out more because I got to know about it today. Somehow I feel it will confuse people,” she said.

Mushusha had earlier issued a statement warning Mambokadzi African Media and Entertainment.

“I have noticed with dismay the use of my name “Mambokadzi” in the entertainment circles by one Rhoda Mandaza in what she calls Mambokadzi African Media and Entertainment that she founded in 2013.

“I founded Mambokadzi Theatre Productions in 2005, eight years before Rhoda decided to form her grouping hence she named her organisation with full realisation that I hold the rights to the name Mambokadzi in the entertainment circles and the birth of any other group with that name is ultra vires copyright laws and hence null and void,” Mushusha charged.

“The result of such, among other things, causes material, psychological, financial harm and otherwise to us and confuse our stakeholders, clients, donors and all other concerned individuals in the entertainment industry.

“It is with this background that we wish to issue a strong warning to Rhoda and everyone associated with her in that project that we are receiving legal advice with a view of pursuing a legal route to stop her from using our name Mambokadzi,” she said.

Mandaza, however, fired back saying the word Mambokadzi is universal which simply means “queen” and can be used by anyone.

“ If Mushusha does her research she will see that I registered my company in South Africa in 2003 and I used to work with various musicians under that name. I came to register it here in 2013,” she said.

Mandaza said she is the one who is supposed to be complaining but doesn’t find any conflict of interests.

“I am surprised by the statement I saw through someone. I am the one who registered this company first,” she said.

According to law under the Companies Act Chapter 24:2; no name shall be reserved and no company shall be registered by a name which is identical with that for which a reservation is current or with that of a registered company or a registered foreign company or a private business corporation registered under the Private Business Corporations Act.