Judgment has been reserved in the African National Congress’s (ANC) request for leave to appeal a ruling from April 2024, which dismissed its attempt to prevent the newly-formed uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) political party from using the uMkhonto weSizwe name and logo.
The ANC has taken its case to the KwaZulu-Natal High Court in Durban, arguing that there are reasonable grounds for a different court to reach a different decision. The party contends that allowing the MK Party to use the name and logo constitutes ongoing infringement.
If successful, the ANC's appeal could result in a ban on the MK Party's use of these identifiers. The MK Party, which has emerged as the third largest political party in South Africa following the 2024 National and Provincial elections, has strongly opposed the ANC’s application, labeling it as “dead on arrival.”
