Last of the great editors

Hogarth does not make a habit of lampooning fellow journalists. Fortunately, Vusi Mona does not fall into this category.

Spin doctor, businessman, eavesdropper, yes. Journalist, no.

This is a man who sat through an off-the-record briefing with prosecutions boss Bulelani Ngcuka, then wrote a hard-hitting opinion article in his newspaper calling on the world to leave Ngcuka alone.

Then he had a crisis of conscience and realised, some time after the fact, that Ngcuka's briefing was racist and unethical, filled with personal details about the wives of the political elite.

Then, to crown it all, the mampara published the story alleging Ngcuka was a spy knowing it was "reckless", "wrong" and under an inaccurate headline. Eish!

With acknowledgement to the Sunday Times.