ANC serves papers on Cope

2008-11-18 10:40

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Johannesburg - The ANC has served legal papers on Mosiuoa Terror Lekota's breakaway party for using the name Congress of the People, officials said on Tuesday.

The papers include a demand that all promotional material bearing Cope's name must be delivered to the African National Congress for destruction, said its spokesperson Carl Niehaus.

"We served legal papers on Cope in the form of a lawyer's letter which was sent to their attorneys yesterday [Monday]," he said.

The letter states: "We believe we enjoy common law in and to the name Congress of the People."

The ANC argues that the Congress of the People in 1995 was a "seminal, historical event" organised by the ANC and its congress alliance partners. The Freedom Charter was adopted at this event.

'Serious confusion'

Niehaus said the ANC was also concerned about the fact that "in many political circles, the ANC is commonly referred to as the Congress of the People".

Also, the Nguni translation of the ANC is "khongolese", which means congress.

"The consequence of this is that there will be serious confusion," reads the letter.

It requests Cope to "stop using the name, withdraw the trademark applications that have been made [and] cease from registering their Section 21 company under that name".

The letter asks Cope for an undertaking in writing that it would not use the name or any similar names and that no promotional or advertising material bear the name.

The ANC "requests delivery of all material in their possession for destruction".

The undertaking not to use the name must be made by Thursday, November 20.

"If they do not abide by this we will be entitled to institute urgent High Court proceedings," said Niehaus.

Objection sent to IEC

He said a copy of the letter had been sent to the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC).

"We have now also registered our objection at the IEC," said Niehaus.

If the IEC decides the name Cope causes confusion and refuses its application to register for elections, the ANC will not need to go to court.

Cope spokesperson Smuts Ngonyama confirmed that the party had been served with legal papers.

Ngonyama said it would "definitely" continue to use the name Cope.

"They [Cope's lawyers] will definitely be giving attention to it," said Ngonyama.

- SAPA

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i fail to see what the hype is all about. How does ANC and COPE confuse anybody? i think the anc is just bitter and fail to accept competition. if they're as strong as they claim to be, why don't they live and let live?

"Khongolose" means congress agreed, but this has nothing to do with the "Congress of the People",more than it has with A(frican) N(ational) C(ongress) I think this is just a ploy to keep Shilowa busy while they try to get their house in order.

I think that the Brawl between the ANC and COPE is a vicious scramble for power while the poorest of the poor are suffering in this country. Cope is made up of a congregation of BEE Masters and so is the ANC. I quote Steve Biko 'If we have a mere change of face of those in governing positions what is likely to happen is that black people will continue to be poor, and you will see a few blacks filtering through into the so-called borgeoisie. Our society will be run almost as of yesterday'

We know that the ANC does not have the campagne strategy hence they want to destruct Cope for great work they have done thus far. unfortunately Shikota(Cope) with any other name, is still a Shikota and will make sure that they as may votes as they can(hopefuly, atleast 40% of the votes). Bangene Shikota Bangene!!!

More waste of time and money, by two monkeys fighting over a banana. Lekota must come up with something new and not waste time and make more enemies. Privatise the whole govt. These people dont have a clue

I think anc they don't have any agenda at moment they bussy checking what cope is doing so that they can try all the funny tricks to stop that maybe they will also "KILL FOR THIS NAME" if you what I mean

its good then that you dont support the ANC. congress of the people is a sensitive step in a black mans freedom path. now shikota is stealing it from the ppl. imagine if the NNP decided to rebrand and call themselves "the official oposition" what of DA then? idiot.

I think this is the last kick of a dying horse, Cope is here to stay leave us alone people and focus on contnuing to destroy the organisation built by Bo Tata Madiba, Albert Luthuli, Mbeki Thambo, Sisulu and others

Over the weekend i heard the best Phuza Face man ( Ndzimande )say something about a debate with Bra Terror, i think he was drunk to stand in public and shout those stupid words in Zulu, things that his God Zuma promised the people in Soweto and when it comes do doing it he dodged.

When Sobukwe defected from ANC to form PAC, he was not prevented for the name that contain congerss. When Holomisa defected also to form UDM, he was not prevented for the name that was also in the ANC calender with regard to the UDF that was was furthering the aim and objectives of the ANC inside the country. Please ANC concentrate on your campain for next year election or are you scared of COPE. Buwa Lekota Buwa.

It's very arrogant of the ANC to claim that the rights to the name belongs to them and even more arrogant to demand that all promotional material bearing Cope's name must be delivered to the ANC for destruction.

It seems that we are developing a Bob Mugabe style of using derrogatory statements against those excercising their Democratic right to choose. It's scary stuff. The ANC need to focus their energy on real issues if their campaign is to have success.

The ANC has no money for the election and then they go and waste it on a no hope case. "What a waste" is spot on. But please do not let the ANC stop - all their antics create so much awareness of COPE or whatever their name turns out to be.

I witness the small beginning of a very big fight. The opposition to the ANC may be a good thing, at the same time however, if this is how the ANC tolerate opposition, it has the potential to cripple the country. Lots of examples north of the border of what happens when these brothers of the soil fight each other. Scary stuff.

It seems that Zuma wants to be the next African dictator, following in Mugabe's footsteps, trying to stop Democracy. It is time to realize that the view point of the current ANC supported by the youth league does not contain democracy in it's true form. Only a select few will benefit from the new order. Stop this farce and start caring for the poor who set you into Government. Remeber, it is not the ANC that won the war, but the praying masses of the poor that turned God's heart.

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ANC serves papers on Cope

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