The Socialist Party of Zambia has defended its use of the red and yellow colour branding of its party after concerns have been raised that the party is imitating the main opposition United Party for National Development (UPND).
Responding to the allegation that the party was offending and imitating UPND, the party’s presidential candidate Fred M’membe said that there was no political party, organisation or individual who holds a patent to the colour red in Zambia or the world at large.
Dr M’membe further said that by using the colour red the Socialist Party is not violating the rights of any political party and that the Electoral Commission of Zambia wouldn’t have allowed its emblem or symbol to have the colour red if it was conflicting with that of any registered political party.
Below is the full post
Socialist Party colours and symbols
The Socialist Party is not offending or imitating any political party by using the colour red and the clenched left fist as its symbols and salutes.
The Socialist Party went through a rigorous process of getting its name and symbols cleared and approved by both the Electoral Commission of Zambia and the Registrar of Societies. There’s no political party, organisation or individual who holds a patent to the colour red in this country or the world at large. There’s no political party in Zambia that owns the colour red.
It’s trite patent law that a single colour cannot be patented, but colour as part of a complete design can be patented. For example, if you want to patent the colour red, you won’t be able to patent it. However, if you have a design that includes the colour red, you can obtain a patent protecting the entire design.
If by using the colour red the Socialist Party is not violating the rights of any political party. The Electoral Commission of Zambia wouldn’t have allowed its emblem or symbol to have the colour red if it was conflicting with that of any registered political party.
Red is traditionally associated with socialism, left wing political parties. The oldest symbol of socialism is the Red Flag, which dates back to the French Revolution in the 18th century and the revolutions of 1848. Before this nascence, the colour red was generally associated with monarchy or the Church due to the symbolism and association of Christ’s blood.
The colour red was chosen to represent the blood of the workers who died in the struggle against capitalism. All major socialist alliances and organisations – including the First, Second, Third and Fourth Internationals – used red as their official colour. The socialists use red much more often and more extensively than other ideologies use their respective traditional colours.
Political colours are colours used to represent a political ideology, movement or party, either officially or unofficially. Parties in different countries with similar ideologies sometimes use similar colours.
The colour red symbolises left-wing ideologies in many countries, while the colour orange symbolises Christian democratic political ideology, and the colour yellow is most commonly associated with liberalism and right-libertarianism. The political associations of a given colour vary from country to country, and there are exceptions to the general trends. For example, red today is also the colour associated with the conservative Republican Party in the United States.
Similarly, the use by the Socialist Party of the clenched left fist salute is not an infringement or imitation of any political party’s symbol. While others are using the right hand, the Socialist Party – a leftist party – is using the left hand.
The raised left fist, or the clenched left fist, is a universal socialist symbol of solidarity and support. It is also used as a salute to express unity, strength, defiance, or resistance.
The painting by Honoré Daumier of the French Revolution of 1848 includes a possible early example of a “political clenched left fist,” according to curator Francesca Seravalle.
The use of the left fist by communists and antifascists is first evidenced in 1924 when it was adopted as the salute for the Communist Party of Germany’s Roter Frontkämpferbund (Alliance of Red Front-Fighters).
We hope this will clear the air about the Socialist Party’s use of the colour red and the clenched left fist salute.
Issued by Fred M’membe,
President of the Socialist Party
Why cant you go for red and white
Issued by His Royal Highness Fred M’membe the 2nd,
President of the Socialist Party, Prince of the Bemba Kingdom
Imwe naimwe ba Mmembe just go for yellow. Don’t bring unnecessary confusion. Afterall you cannot even win
Red and Yellow are the national colours of Angola and communist China.
Kikikikikikijukija
Ifimabange!
Every which way, PF will beat the h.e.l.l out’a the both of you in August this year whether red, blue, orange, black, yellow or colourless.
What cheap political noise!
PF 100%
Elite Zambians 100%
Zambia overdrive 100%
ECL 100%
They are neither hot nor cold, they are lukewarm, UPND colors then use PF symbol, what kind of confunsion is this party?
The Hungry Lion party.
Is that whlte woman also a member or she owns the party? Bobdobalina wani paya ati hungry lion party hahahahaa it is too early in year for such jokes
The home alone parties
Are there no other colours that Dr Membe can use? Even in football, it is quite confusing if the teams use the same colours. Please come up with your own colours, maybe Black and Purple.
NO IMAGINATION. There ARE SO MANY COLOUS ON EARTH. aND YOU EXPECT SUCH DULL POLITICIANS TO HAVE SOLUTIONS FOR zAMBIA? tHEY ARE IN THE CATEGORY OF THOSE WHO DO THE SAME THING OVER AND OVER EXPECTING A DIFFERENT RESULT
But some people just like crying wolf! Ati our colours, styopet who tells you ba UPeND that you have a monopoly to colours! Malabishi ya chipani!
Who made the allegation that the Socialist Party is using the same colors as UPND?
Where is the official complaint? I’m sure its another fabrication by the PF. The ballot will have faces.
Besides, we wont be surprised if Socialist party members now become victims of the PF carders violence for being dressed in red and yellow colours.
Just a few months ago.
“Patriotic Front secretary General Hon Davis Mwila has demanded that Airtel the telecommunication company in Zambia and Shoprite the retail chainstore cease to use the Red color because it’s promoting UPND.”
When I was growing up we used to hear: Red for danger (blood), Green for jealousy, blue for love.
Independent, the issue is UPND complaining about Socialist Party using red, which they claim is imitation. How does PF come into the web? If Socialist party was a PF surrogate, I would understand your concern, which is misplaced.
However, Fred M’membe has responded. Let UPND take it up with ECZ, if they feel they have a valid concern.
With the number of political parties in, if colours were to patented, some parties would have no colours.
Let UPND campaign and convince the majority voters, and colour shall mean nothing.
By the way, with all due respect to the blind, how does UPND campaign to our brothers and sisters who can’t see colours?
@Fake Kaizer Zulu, the white lady is your mother.
OK