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Ngqwele Dube, Sports Correspondent
HIGHLANDERS are set to receive royalty payments from the club’s board chairman Mgcini Nkolomi over the use of the club’s brand name, Mantengwane.
Nkolomi operates Cry Mantengwane Bar in Gwanda town. Highlanders successfully registered Mantengwane as one of their trademarks early this year giving them complete control over the name for commercial purposes.
Nkolomi told a gathering of life members last Saturday the club’s success in registering the trademarks will earn them more revenue and his business will now be remitting revenues to Bosso. The Bulawayo giants took action to protect their commercial value by registering 10 trademarks that include Bossolona, Tshilamoya, Cry Mantengwane, Amahlolanyama, Ezikamagebhula, Ngenkani, Highlanders FC, the club shield with the 1926 inscription Siyinqaba and Bosso.
Previously the club has been unable to take action against those producing regalia emblazoned with club names and insignia because they were yet to be registered. In an interview, Nkolomi said he had initially crafted the idea of the pub as a way of creating a franchise that Highlanders would benefit from financially but the delay in the formalisation of the brand names had stalled the idea.
He revealed that a commercial agreement had been drafted between his company and Highlanders, which would be revisited before the two parties finalise on the figures and other terms. He indicated they had sought to use Cry Mantengwane as a prototype that would set the standard for other similar bars that might crop up as franchises.
Chief executive officer Ndumiso Gumede revealed they had already entered agreements with four businesspeople to produce various club branded merchandise among them helmets, caps, T-shirts and key holders.
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