The South African Communist Party (SACP) said on Tuesday the battle surrounding the African National Congress’s (ANC’s) original uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) name and trademark is far from over, expressing its support for the party’s appeal against the Durban High Court judgment.

On Monday ANC secretary general Fikile Mbalula announced the ANC’s intention to appeal the judgment of the High Court, in Durban, after losing another legal battle against the newly formed uMkhonto weSizwe Party’s (MK Party’s) use of its name and trademark.

The SACP said it would also form part of the appeal against the high court ruling.

The SACP deposed an affidavit in the case as part of the original MK founding organisations.

“Together as allies, the ANC and the SACP founded the original MK in 1961 as the people’s liberation army, under the leadership of the ANC within the framework of our revolutionary alliance, as opposed to an opportunist electoral party premised on a factional, divisive and counter-revolutionary agenda,” the SACP said.

The party noted former President Nelson Mandela’s statement in his autobiography, Long Walk to Freedom, where he said the SACP was the first to adopt the armed struggle against the apartheid regime and to build armed-struggle networks to take forward the cause of liberation.

“We reserve every right to protect our heritage, including from all forms of theft and distortion,” it said.