Durban - The African National Congress is concerned that the media barely reported on the resignation of a senior Democratic Alliance leader in KwaZulu-Natal, the party said on Thursday.
“We are worried that a dangerous trend is developing in the province where certain media houses impose a tacit cover-up on certain, selected stories involving ‘special individuals’ by giving them a lukewarm coverage,” the ANC said in a statement.
On Tuesday John Steenhuisen announced his resignation as the Democratic Alliance leader in the province.
“I am still a member of the DA. I have resigned for personal reasons which I don't want to discuss. I also want to focus on my work in the KZN legislature,” Steenhuisen said at the time.
Steenhuisen was leader of the DA in the province, as well as leader of the party in the legislature and its spokesperson for health.
His deputy Sizwe Mchunu took over on Monday as the new provincial leader.
“The silence around this particular story, when contrasted with other similar stories, calls for the strengthening of media regulatory measures,” the ANC said.
The provincial ANC called on the media to avoid taking positions that gave the perception it was biased and pushed selfish agendas.
“The ANC calls on the Democratic Alliance, which has always portrayed itself as a paragon of moral virtue, to come clean on the matter.”
Mchunu said it was untrue that the DA had not come clean.
“We came clean on the matter he (Steenhuisen) has resigned. We warmly welcomed this. He pointed out he had personal matters he need to attend to.” - Sapa