ANC, Cope showdown next week

2008-12-02 17:43

Johannesburg - The ANC will file an urgent application against the use of the name Congress of the People (Cope) in court next week Wednesday, a spokesperson said on Tuesday.

African National Congress spokesperson Steyn Speed confirmed that the application for an interdict against Cope, led by former ANC veteran Terror Lekota, would be heard next Wednesday.

This will be less than a week before Cope's planned launch date of December 16.

The SABC reported that the hearing would be held in the Pretoria High Court, and that the ANC would also ask for an order to stop the Independent Electoral Commission from registering Cope as a political party.

The IEC is expected to file court papers on Wednesday and Cope is expected to file its papers on Friday.

The ANC is arguing that the Congress of the People in 1955 was a "seminal, historical event" organised by the ANC and its congress alliance partners. The Freedom Charter was adopted at this event.

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

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

Lekota was among a string of cabinet ministers who resigned out of loyalty to former president Thabo Mbeki, who was removed from office by the national executive committee of the ANC in September.

Since then, Lekota, alongside his former deputy defence minister Mluleki George and former Gauteng premier Mbhazima Shilowa, announced the creation of the breakaway party. It was due to be launched on December 16.

- SAPA