The African National Congress has called on all democrats to “rip the veil off the power of media”.
In the documents for its 50th national conference, the ANC laments that there is still no significant media to represent and articulate the aspirations of the “biggest constituency” in the country.
South Africa is the only country “where a political movement that enjoys almost two thirds of electoral support does not have any media outlet that supports its programmes and functions editorially within its political ambit”.
It urges democratic intellectuals to transform “media into an agent that enables equitable decision-making”.
The document argues that instead of debate, the local media are dominated by “sound bytes [sic] from political parties opposed to the ANC programmes”. Proponents of this approach disguised their hostility as the “traditional role of the media as a watchdog over the behaviour of state institutions and their representatives”.
This “so-called watchdog role needs to be interrogated”, says the document.
Meanwhile, at the press conference where the documents were released, ANC head of communications Smuts Ngonyama called for the formation of a forum comprising civil society and the media to stir debate.
The ANC is also considering broadening its communications section. It is believed to be considering redeploying its former national spokesperson, Thabo Masebe, to Luthuli house. Masebe is currently the spokesperson for Gauteng Premier Mbhazima Shilowa.