David Tlale embroiled in reality show controversy

He may be a gifted designer‚ but not everything about David Tlale is stylish.

In what is the latest in a string of controversies that have mired his career‚ the winner of his reality TV show The Intern has yet to receive her prizes.

Despite winning the show in October‚ fashion design graduate Kuena Moshoeshoe‚ 29‚ has still not received the spoils of her work. This included R200‚000 in case‚ a new Mercedes-Benz CLA‚ valued at just under R500‚000‚ a fully-equipped studio valued at R250‚000 and a 12-month contract as Tlale's assistant.

On top of this‚ it has also emerged that the SABC3's show producers did not know that Moshoeshoe had previously interned for the fashion designer.

Moshoeshoe confirmed to TimesLIVE that‚ in fact‚ she knew Tlale before the competition - and had been encouraged by him to enter the reality show. She interned for him four months in 2015 while she was a student.

Yet Tlale said this week he did not see this a conflict of interest‚ because the SABC3 show was an "open competition".

"It was a new slate…and she didn’t even finish her previous internship with me. It was an 18-month internship and she left early to focus on her studies which I didn’t have a problem with‚” Tlale said.

Despite this‚ SABC head of PR‚ Zandile Nkonyeni‚ said the channel was not aware that Moshoeshoe previously worked with Tlale.

This is not the first time Tlale has been painted as a defaulter.

In 2013 he was embroiled in a payment scandal involving a US public relations firm ahead of his show at the New York Fashion Week. At the time‚ fashion publicist and television personality Kelly Cutrone issued a statement on the eve of Tlale’s show saying her firm‚ People’s Revolution‚ had cut ties with the designer because it hadn’t been paid.

Three years earlier‚ Tlale was contracted to design uniforms for the staff at the Royal Marang Hotel in the North West‚ provide an in-house tailor for a month to make necessary alternations and provide image consulting services. He failed to deliver the uniforms by the deadline and the hotel cancelled the contract and demanded he pay back almost R200‚000.

Tlale said this week he had paid the money back. The hotel did not respond to questions.

Also in 2010‚ Tlale failed to pay Eben Keun‚ of Breinstorm Brand Architects‚ R40‚000 for work done on a fashion show. Keun said this week that after “a lot of pressure” Tlale eventually paid the money back.

“It took two years to resolve the issue‚" he said.

Admitting that his financial background may be murky‚ Tlale said he had learnt from his past.

“I’ve learnt a lot‚ especially about the business of fashion. We are still learning and growing. We’ve dealt with those issues and we are now trying to deal with this issue with Kuena.

"The prizes are there‚ everything is ready for her. We are going to pay Kuena‚ we are ready for her to come and work for us.”

In December‚ Tlale reportedly said Moshoeshoe had not received her prizes because she did not have a work permit. But this week Tlale said it was Moshoeshoe who was holding things up.

“We sent her a work contract‚ she had some questions and I responded. Now she just has to accept and sign. She already has the contract‚ she’s had it since December‚ and she just needs to sign it. We are waiting on her.”

While Moshoeshoe this week declined to comment on the prizes‚ she said she has always had a work permit.

Tlale said the controversy was “tarnishing” his brand.

Last week‚ he posted a picture of his 75-year-old mother in a Mercedes-Benz‚ which sparked speculation as to why Moshoeshoe had still not received her prizes. He laughed at insinuations he had bought his mother a car while Moshoeshoe had not received hers‚ saying that buying his mother a car would be “a waste of time” due to her poor eyesight.

Nkonyeni said discussions were ongoing between Tlale and Moshoeshoe‚ and that the contract stipulated that the prizes be awarded within 120 days of the winner’s announcement.