EMBARRASSED cellphone network Vodacom has apologised for using US diva Beyonce’s recent hit song Single Ladies without permission for a video competition, but says the campaign will continue.

The Vodacom Fame competition individual category had to close last Friday, only five weeks into its launch, because the company had not received permission for the use of the chart-topping track.

The competition invited people with cellphones to upload their version of Single Ladies as a dance, and in the process become “internet famous”.

Vodacom SA spokesman Nicolene Visser confirmed yesterday that the competition had closed prematurely because there were problems with rights to the song.

“Due to an unresolved issue with one of the rights holders over the rights to use Single Ladies for videos uploaded to the Vodacom Fame website, Vodacom unfortunately had to close the video competition on August 14.”

Visser said other elements of the cellular network’s campaign, such as the television and retail advertisements, would continue.

Vodacom has not confirmed whether any legal action was taken against them for the use of the song on the internet.

Vodacom SA managing director Shameel Joosub said: “We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience caused. We simply had no choice but to close the competition.”

The individual competition followed the success of the Vodacom Fame radio challenge in which radio stations made their own Single Ladies dances on video.

The winner, Bay station Algoa FM, donated R50000 to five charities of its choice.

The overall winner, Charde Buchanan, of Rooihuiskraal in Centurion, won R300000 in cash and a new cellphone for her version entitled High School Single Ladies.

Second was Chris Njokwana, of Langa in Cape Town, with Single Ladies Street Style, and third was Joanne Fisher, of Glenmore, Durban, with The Crazy Fisher Family.