Vodacom Asked to Withhold ‘Please Call Me’ Settlement Money
- Creator of phone service in dispute with financiers over cut
- Vodacom says focused on negotiating payoff after court ruling
Vodafone Group Plc’s South African unit has been told to delay full payment to a former employee credited with the idea for a popular calling service, pending the outcome of a dispute between the person and the company that helped fund his eight-year legal battle.
Sterling Rand, which found financial backers for Kenneth Makate as he pursued Vodacom Group Ltd. for compensation for ‘Please Call Me’, has told the Johannesburg-based wireless operator to withhold at least 50 percent of any settlement, a letter sent on behalf of Sterling Rand by lawyers Fairbridges Wertheim Becker shows. Sterling Rand is concerned that Makate and his lawyers, Stemela & Lubbe, will agree to a deal that excludes the company. Makate didn’t respond to messages on Facebook and Twitter seeking comment.