Radio DJ and Idols judge Gareth Cliff appears to have entered the world of politics by launching a scathing attack on President Jacob Zuma and his government.

In a rant published on his website, Cliff attacked Zuma for having several children out of marriage, criticised Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande, and accused others in the government of enriching their "family members [who become] overnight millionaires".

• Read the full letter here or check out what other South Africans are saying HERE

The 5FM morning show host starts off with: "The ANC believes in 'collective responsibility' (so that nobody has to get blamed when things get screwed up), so I address this to everyone in the government - the whole lot of you - good, bad and ugly (that's you, Blade)".

In the 1177-word diatribe titled "Dear Government", Cliff also elaborates on issues he says are "some things that might have passed you by".

He tackles corruption, the media tribunal, education, black economic empowerment, inter-departmental power struggles and the renaming of streets.

He tells the government: "Don't think you'll be in power forever".

"Since President Sepp went off with his billions, I'm afraid we have less to be proud of - public servants' strikes, more presidential bas**** children, increasing unemployment and a lack of leadership that allowed the unions to make the elected government it's bi***," wrote Cliff.

Presidential spokesman Zizi Kodwa said yesterday he was not aware of the website letter but contacted Cliff after The Times sent him a copy.

Kodwa, who is in Egypt with Zuma on a state visit, told The Times that he had "requested a meeting with Gareth Cliff when I return on Thursday or Friday so that I can understand better the issues he is raising".

"Suffice to say we have noted the letter and we are extremely worried about its tone. We have decided to meet Gareth urgently to give him an opportunity to explain himself," he said.

Cliff's manager, Rina Broomberg, confirmed that Kodwa had spoken to Cliff and added that he "had nothing to comment on at this moment".

In the letter, published last week, Cliff tells the government to "stop complaining about the media".

"When the media go after Blade Nzimande, Siphiwe Nyanda and the president, they say we need a new piece of legislation to 'make the media responsible'," Cliff wrote.

"That's because they're being humiliated by the facts we uncover about them daily, not because there is an agenda in some newsroom."

The Times contacted Nzimande's office about Cliff's letter and Nzimande's chief of staff, Nqaba Nqandela, said: "Please note that Minister Nzimande is not going to dignify these rantings of a racist with a response."

This is not the first time that Cliff has lashed out about government officials.

He commented on the death of former health minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang on social networking site Twitter in December.

"Manto is dead. Good. A selfish and wicked bungler of the lowest order. Rotten attitude and rancid livers - all 3 of them . " he wrote.

Now his employers, 5FM and M-Net, say that they "have seen the letter from his website but also have chosen to separate themselves from Cliff's political comments".

M-Net spokesman Ingrid Engelbrecht said yesterday: "We have seen the letter, and view it as him voicing his opinion in a personal capacity, and not as an Idols judge, or in any relation to the show."