A rather worrisome straw was blowing in the balmy South African wind this week when senior African National Congress figure and businessman Mr Saki Macozuma hit out at the control of South Africa's media from "Ireland and Naspers".

Ireland was obviously a reference to the Sir Anthony O'Reilly-controlled Independent News & Media, which has extensive interests in South Africa. Locally owned Naspers is another big media player but it is focused on Afrikaans-speaking readers.

"There will always be a sense of grievance amongst black people that they don't have something they own and they feel represents their views," Mr Macozuma, a former Robben Island inmate, told Reuters.

Mr Macozuma - who is touted by some as a successor to the current president, Mr Thabo Mbeki - has made no secret of his ambition to build a black-owned media group. His company, New African Investments, owns the Sowetan but attempts to expand through acquisition have fallen foul of South Africa's media ownership laws.

All that is about to change, believes Mr Macozuma who plans to take a tilt at Johnnic Communications, the owners of the Sunday Times, the biggest-selling paper in South Africa. The combined group would form the basis of a black-owned media group to rival the Independent News & Media's Independent Newspapers Ltd.

Quite how much political influence Mr Macozuma can really exert is a moot point but it sounds like it is well overdue for some of the legendary O'Reilly schmoozing down at Castlemartin. He might even merit a trip to Lyford Cay.