Edith Venter parties are no more!

Here was my story on The Times:

SOCIALITE Edith Venter’s party planning career is over.

Venter’s former business partner, Vivien Natasen, has won a court order that prevents her from “pursuing solo business interests in the event, public relations and marketing sector”.

Sunday Times columnist Craig Jacobs said the social scene will suffer following the judgment handed down in the Johannesburg High Court on Friday.

“When you get an invitation from Edith Venter, you know it’s an A-class event. It is sad for the social world. She’s known for her great parties,” said Jacobs.

The furore began when Natasen gave Venter a 25.5 percent share in a new events and public relations company, Neo Innovations, last year — in exchange for access to her contacts, clients and suppliers.

Venter has organised high-end events on the social circuit, including the opening of the luxury Louis Vuitton store in Cape Town and the annual Fancourt Ball at the prestigious Fancourt Hotel, near George, on the Garden Route.

Her speciality was charity events for the Red Cross, SA Guide Dogs, Hospice, Johannesburg Child Welfare and Reach For a Dream, among others.

But Natasen claimed in the high court that Venter’s public relations business was “almost insolvent” when she joined forces with him.

He said that, after giving Venter a R300 000 “loan”, she quit the joint business and started an events company of her own, in violation of their agreement.

Venter counterclaimed that Natasen agreed to pay R500 000 for the merger with her company, Edith Venter Promotions.

She said she received only R300 000, allowing her to leave the joint venture.

In November, Venter quit the company and announced publicly — and in her recently published book, Edith Venter: The Art of Good Living — that she would take all her clients with her.

Natasen then asked the Johannesburg High Court to order Venter to stop organising events and stay away from the clients and contacts he had paid for.

On Friday, Acting Judge Nothemba Mlondzi ruled in Natasen’s favour.

Venter, 57, could not be reached for comment.