Vocal backers of the newly formed MK Party have voiced their satisfaction with Tuesday’s Electoral Court victory and hoped the Durban Magistrate’s Court would deliver a similar judgment in their favour. Picture: Mariah Maré
Mariah Maré
The uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party claims that they have not stripped the ANC of their political heritage, but instead reinvigorated the spirit of revolution.
Outside the Durban Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday, IOL spoke to Lucky Sibambo, a MK volunteer from the Moses Mabhida region, who hoped that justice would prevail, as both parties have argued their case.
Sibambo said they did not take anything from the ANC, but rather took something old and made it new.
“You cannot have gold and take it and throw it in dustbin, 20 years or 30 years later I come and pick up the gold and clean it and shine it and when it shines and blings, you say it’s yours,” Sibambo said.
Provincial secretary of the ANC in KwaZulu-Natal, Bheki Mtolo, said the ANC was neither threatened nor scared of Jacob Zuma’s party.
Mtolo said Zuma’s departure from the ANC is of no relevance.
“Currently in South Africa, there is no force that can threaten the ANC, even opposition parties combined.
“Remember in 2019 opposition parties combined, but could not even gather seven million votes.
“It will take former councillors and 'tenderpreneurs’ and those not paying tax to think they can do something, but it’s not grassroots individuals,” Mtolo said outside court.
Both Mtolo and Sibambo were at court for the trademark and logo case involving the ANC and the MK party.
The ANC is arguing that Zuma’s newly formed party took over the use of their logo and regalia colours.
MK Party supporters, including Sibambo and vocal backer Visvin Reddy, also rejoiced over the victory in the Electoral Court, regarding the party’s registration with the IEC.
The court found that there was no law suggesting the IEC was prohibited from allowing political parties to supplement applications, even if they were initially rejected, and that other parties had previously supplemented their applications, according to a previous IOL report.
The ruling party’s second challenge to the MK Party’s use of its logo and trademark, that it says is associated with it, will be in court on Wednesday.
But the ruling party now finds itself approaching the May 29 general election already wounded, just like it did when the then expelled Julius Malema founded the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) two general elections ago, and is facing the prospect of slugging it out against its former leader in the upcoming ballot.
IOL