The ANC's application for leave to appeal a court ruling that emerging party Cope can use the name Congress of the People was expected, Cope's deputy chairperson Mbhazima Shilowa said on Friday.

Speaking outside the Pretoria High Court after the ruling was handed down in a less than a minute, a jubilant Shilowa said an appeal was expected.

"We would have expected them to appeal, that they would have us stay in court... until the elections.

Asked what the ruling meant for Cope, Shilowa said: "It means we arrive in Bloemfontein in high spirits. The people of South Africa are beginning to see... new beginning, a new agenda, a new hope for our country."

African National Congress spokesperson Carl Niehaus said: "The African National Congress is disappointed by this judgment."

He added that the party did however appreciate that the court had taken the matter seriously enough to allow a full bench to preside over arguments.

"We still believe that the event of the Congress of the People in 1955 was a historic, important event closely associated with the ANC, and we don't believe that any one political party should have the right to appropriate this name.

"It is in that context that the ANC will now make an application for us to be granted leave to appeal."

In a later statement it said: "The ANC does not believe that this name should be appropriated for the exclusive use of any political party, particularly one that had no involvement in that historic event."

The name was used in 1955 at an ANC event which launched the Freedom Charter, a document containing its aspirations and goals for the nation.

Meanwhile Cope said it hoped the ANC would respected Friday's court judgment.

"More importantly that the ANC accepts the changing political landscape in our country and that the existence of Cope can only strengthen democratic values and culture," a statement read.

It said the judgment vindicated its position that voters won't be confused.

"This was nothing but a bullying tactic by the ruling party to frustrate a normal democratic process whereby people can exercise their right to belong to a political party of their choice."

The party, which claimed to have over 400 000 signed-up members, charged that the ANC's strategy was to frustrate an alternative to itself.

Sapa