African National Congress (ANC) secretary general Kgalema Motlanthe lambasted the opposition and the media at the weekend, accusing them of "lacking vision" and rehashing lies about corruption in the multibillion-rand defence procurement deal.

He attacked the media for collaborating with the opposition to "make something out of nothing" and charged that the opposition was conveniently ignoring the findings of investigations by the public protector, the auditor-general and the National Directorate of Public Prosecutions.

"They are like those who still insist the Iraq war was about weapons of mass destruction."

Motlanthe said there was possibly more to the Democratic Alliance (DA) and some media houses firing off so much ammunition only months before the next general election.

DA chief whip Douglas Gibson did not deny the allegation that the party's criticism of the arms deal was an election campaign strategy.

"One issue that affronts voters more than anything else is corruption," he said.

"Whether Motlanthe likes it or not, the DA will continue to expose corruption wherever it can. Instead of attacking the DA, Motlanthe should offer his assistance to (Deputy President Jacob) Zuma in replying to the 35 questions the Scorpions have put to him." Gibson said.

Motlanthe said the opposition was probably hoping to put pressure on government to reverse its decision to buy the arms.

"Their pacifist view must be respected, even if deployments in Congo and Burundi in support of political stabilisation and ending conflict, and the precarious global situation after September 11 2001, show how out of touch with reality they can sometimes be," the party official said.

He warned those objecting to the arms deal on principle against falling into the trap of believing that the expenditure could be stopped by making it appear corrupt, especially when the campaign was being led by contractors who lost out in the bidding process.

"Unlike in the past, they have to compete for business openly, and sometimes lose."

Motlanthe conceded that investigations over allegations of impropriety were continuing, but he emphasised that in deciding on these probes, the investigating agencies had asserted that the procurement process had had the highest integrity.

He said under an ANC-led government, the country was now "an important voice of the developing world, in general, and Africa, in particular". With Nontyatyambo Petros

With acknowledgements to Hopewell Radebe and the Business Day.