by James Tweedie

SOUTH AFRICA’S ruling ANC has condemned the Daily Dispatch newspaper after a leaked memo revealed a “witch-hunt” against elected leaders.

The editors of the Dispatch stand accused of orchestrating a media campaign against the administration of Eastern Cape province premier Phumulo Masualle after the three-page document to staff was leaked to rival The New Age.

Staff at the “Daily Disgrace,” as it has been nicknamed, were told to pry into the premier’s public and private life and his acquaintances to see if they could dig up any scandals.

They were even told to look into a car accident that Mr Masualle was involved in and scrutinise the clothes he wears and what personal gifts he receives.

They were also ordered to look for tensions between heads of departments and their staff, and to find out whether their were any “conflicts” of interest with staff working for trade unions.

On education, the memo reads: “We need to expose every story, mostly a negative story that is there on education. A negative story published makes official worker [sic] harder.”

Most damningly, the memo asks of the opposition: “Can we work with them?”

The ANC said it would seek an urgent meeting with the South African National Editors Forum to discuss what it called an  “unacceptable abuse of power by the fourth estate.”

It also promised to ensure that parliament conducts an inquiry into the “effectiveness of self- and co-regulation” and look into setting up an independent press regulatory body.

ANC national spokesman Zizi Kodwa said: “This type of journalism is tantamount to a witch-hunt and a blatant departure from the norms and standards expected of media institutions of the stature of Daily Dispatch.”

He said that, while the ANC has never sought to muzzle the press, the Dispatch’s behaviour was “totally in contrast to the principles enshrined in the professional ethics and the press code.”

He added that the ANC expects “factual, accurate and unbiased reporting, which does not border on sensationalism or defamation of character.”

The Daily Dispatch’s most famous editor was the late Donald Woods, friend of murdered anti-apartheid campaigner Steve Biko.