THREE Mpumalanga politicians have accused the Sunday World newspaper of attempting to drum up support for embattled Premier Mathews Phosa and are suing it for R1,5-million. The politicians contend in a strongly worded letter of demand that Sunday World deliberately smeared and defamed them while attempting to boost Phosa’s campaign to remain in power. Provincial economic affairs MEC Jacob Mabena, agriculture MEC January Masilela and sports MEC Fish Mahlalela, have each demanded an apology and R500000 cash as compensation for damage to their political careers. The damage was supposedly caused with an article entitled ‘Mpumalanga warns ANC not to oust Phosa’ on April 18. The article described all three MECs as Phosa’s main rivals in the province and contended that they had been chopped from the African National Congress’s provincial working committee.