Big win for MK as ANC fails to stop ex-President from contesting hot elections

Voters should never be excluded because of the excuse of a logo fight.

“We are not invited, we come on our own.”

South Africa’s election is in May. The Electoral Court has dismissed the ruling ANC’s attempt to declare rival MK party’s registration unlawful owing to disputed copyright over MK’s name and logo.

With South Africa in the thick of global changing events, it’s important that my many American readers understand the gravity of this situation that may, at first, seem absurd.

The MK political party is named after uMkhonto weSizwe (Spear of the Nation), the ANC’s revolutionary wing during Apartheid. It was mostly ignored when it launched in September last year. That ripple became a splash when ex-President of South Africa, Jacob Zuma, endorsed the party.

Analysts soon upgraded the splash to a tsunami - MK is likely to be the biggest wave in removing the ANC’s 30-year national majority. It will also stop the ANC from solely controlling the mostly Zulu province of KwaZulu-Natal (Zuma is Zulu, and tribal lines are still at play in modern South Africa).

MK only needs to win enough to gain leverage. Even 5% would do.

If it aligned with all radically socialist and black conscious parties, it would tilt the country’s political spectrum and foreign policy. That would mean a harder swing to China and Russia, and the Rand taking a big knock as the USA retaliates.

Locally, land would likely be expropriated from the State and the rich, and given to the poor.

MK could coalition with the ANC, trading its wins for big government posts, and changes to ANC policy. It could even lead to a split in the ANC, with current President Cyril Ramaphosa’s half rushing towards Helen Zille’s DA (after its Moonshot Pact with other opposition parties collapses under infighting), and the other half to Zuma - who would own the ANC copyright then?

We don’t know what will happen but maybe the first question should be whether MK can be more than a one-man-Zuma show?

And there’s still civil court, with the ANC stating:

The ANC strongly objects to the use of our Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK) logo and name by this party, and we will be addressing this issue in the High Court in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal tomorrow, 27th March 2024. The MK logo and name is the heritage and intellectual property of the ANC, we will not allow counter-revolutionaries to hijack our movement for their personal gain.

For now, no matter whether you love or are scared of MK, democracy was upheld by the Court. Hereafter, expect major turbulence…

UPDATE