It is frankly embarrassing to see a lawyer of Thabani Mpofu’s standing publicly lamenting what is nothing more than Nelson Chamisa’s own strategic failure. This is the predictable consequence of poor political judgment.
Chamisa’s ameaturish mistake was collapsing an institution into himself. He deliberately personalised the CCC, fusing its identity to his face instead of building it as an autonomous, people-owned political brand. Having now distanced himself from that institution, he cannot credibly claim exclusive rights over its symbols, imagery, or political identity. It’s that simple.
The CCC brand exists independently of Chamisa. If he re-enters electoral politics under a different banner, the CCC will continue to deploy its branding as it sees fit, while his new outfit will stand on whatever insignia it chooses. That is not malice – it is consequence.
This is the cost of attempting to build a personality cult rather than a durable organisation. He made that choice against the sound advice of many well meaning citizens – including myself. He must now live with it. Akapusa zvekuti murume iyeye.
And for the avoidance of doubt, Cde Thabani, a brand is not a person. Under trade mark and intellectual property law, ownership of a party’s name, logo, and visual identity vests in the registered organisation, not in an individual who merely served as its public face. Leadership, prominence, or historical association do not confer proprietary rights.
Any limited personality or image rights an individual may retain do not extinguish, transfer, or override the organisation’s lawful control of its brand, particularly in a political context. Emotional outrage, however theatrically expressed, cannot displace settled legal principles or cure strategic self-harm.
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