The African National Congress was expected to file an urgent application in the Pretoria High Court on Wednesday to stop the breakaway Cope movement from using the name.

The ANC wants to stop the party using the name "Congress of the People".

Cope's Mbhazima Shilowa was at the court on Wednesday morning. ANC spokesperson Ishmael Mnisi was also expected to make an appearance.

The application comes less than a week before Cope's planned launch on 16 December.

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.

Former ANC veteran Terror Lekota and a string of cabinet ministers joined Cope after resigning from the ANC out of loyalty to former president Thabo Mbeki. Mbeki was removed from office by the ANC's national executive committee in September.

Since then, Lekota, alongside his former deputy defence minister Mluleki George and former Gauteng premier Shilowa, announced the creation of the breakaway party.

Sapa