‘They are throwing a last dice and hoping it will bring us down’ – ANC to appeal MK logo judgment

ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula has vowed to appeal a Durban High Court decision to dismiss its opposition to the MK party’s use of the uMkhonto weSizwe name and logo.

The ANC wanted to stop the MK party from using the name and logo linked to the ANC’s armed wing uMkhonto weSizwe ahead of this year’s elections.

Speaking at a briefing after the judgment, Mbalula claimed the court had taken the easy way out by dismissing the matter and said it would be appealed.

“You tell us that we must not do what is right, that is impossible.”

ALSO READ: WATCH: ‘Today we have conquered’ – ANC loses name and logo court battle with MK party

He claimed the MK party was trying its luck, in hope of collapsing the ANC.

“They are throwing a last dice and hoping it will bring the ANC down, and they can do what they want to do.”

“As for whether it will have an implication on elections, we will know on the 29^th of May, but the ANC campaign is unstoppable. We are not deterred.”

Appeal to ‘the highest court in the land’

He suggested that the MK party of former president Jacob Zuma was riding on the name of the ANC.

“Whenever we are in court they are in the limelight. When they get a small win like this they balloon it into higher proportions.

“There is nothing big about this. We will challenge this in court, to the highest court in the land. We will argue the facts. It is appealable. We will argue the trademark and not the politics.”

MK party: ‘Today we have conquered’

MK party co-founder Jabulani Khumalo told media outside court that it was a good day for those who supported the party and Zuma.

“People who support the MK party and Zuma, today we have conquered.”

Watch his comments outside of court:

The #MK Party says it has won today's trademark judgment in the Durban High Court. It was up against the ANC over the use of the logo which bears a shield and a spear. The judgment was delivered a short while ago. #sabcnews pic.twitter.com/Uvt1lUzyGm

— Vusi Khumalo (@djvuslo) April 22, 2024

He said that he was not bothered by opposition to the case.

“Right now our biggest focus is on campaigning and promoting Zuma.”

READ MORE: MK party says it has not ‘fired’ its founder Jabulani Khumalo to make way for Zuma

The ANC previously argued the MK party using the logo and the name is an infringement of the uMkhonto we Sizwe trademark which belongs to them.

It argued trademarks should apply to political parties and not just businesses.

Additional reporting by Faizel Patel