Senior ANC members in Western Cape yesterday hit back at former premier Ebrahim Rasool, saying they would not spare anyone who besmirched their reputations.

In a strongly worded statement, three ANC members - Lynne Brown, Mcebisi Skwatsha and Max Ozinsky - said they were "taking legal advice with a view to launching a defamation action against the Cape Argus after one of its former reporters, Ashley Smith, admitted to taking payments from Rasool to fight his cause in the newspaper.

The trio said they had suffered "personal and professional harm" after Rasool, who was Western Cape premier at the time, colluded with Smith to fight his political battles in the province.

But, in an interview with The Times yesterday, Skwatsha intimated that their action would not stop at Smith and the Independent Group, which owns the Cape Argus.

Without naming Rasool, Skwatsha, who was his archrival in the contest for the ANC leadership in Western Cape, said: "Our integrity has been taken to dust. That is why we have no interest in sparing anyone who caused this."

Asked about Rasool's appointment as South African ambassador to the US, Skwatsha said the ANC would have to decide on the matter.

"We have suffered professionally and personally, and we cannot just let things go by. Those responsible should answer," Skwatsha said.

In response to the threat of legal action, Chris Whitfield, editor-in-chief of Independent Newspapers Cape, said the Cape Argus had repeatedly asked Ozinsky for help in resolving the matter.

"None of substance has been forthcoming, but the newspaper has done everything in its power to get to the truth," said Whitfield.

"It is instructive that it was the Cape Argus itself, and not a formal ANC inquiry that was held into the matter, that eventually cast light on these events.

"As far as the threat of legal action is concerned, we will respond when and if they get beyond taking advice," Whitfield said.

Yesterday's statement by the three ANC members comes as the party fights to win back the province from the DA in next year's local government elections.

The ANC lost the Western Cape after infighting among its members divided the party along racial lines.

Skwatsha, who in 2005 won the ANC leadership race against Rasool, has continuously complained of "dirty tricks" being used against him and other ANC leaders who differed with the former premier.

Last week, Smith admitted in an affidavit that Rasool used him as his "frontline of attack" against rivals in the ANC.

In their statement yesterday, the three said they were determined to clear their names.

"Race relations in our province have been profoundly damaged by repeated depictions of us as Africanists, and the organisation we serve as divided along racial lines."

Last night, ANC spokesman Jackson Mthembu said no one could claim innocence in what was happening in Western Cape.

"Factionalism has brought our organisation down in that province. No one is a holy cow.

"We cannot jump to conclusions on the basis of an affidavit that has yet to be tested in court.

"Let us allow due process to unfold before we make conclusions," Mthembu said.

The SA Communist Party in the province has repeatedly warned of factionalism within the ANC, and said that the ruling party could lose to the DA again if it did not resolve its divisions.

DA MP Kenneth Mubu yesterday called on President Jacob Zuma to "intervene and withhold the appointment of Ebrahim Rasool as the ambassador to Washington, pending an investigation into the damning allegations against him".

"It is up to the president to exercise his prerogative and withhold the appointment in the light of the serious corruption allegations against the former premier," Mubu said.

"There can be no doubt that the allegations against Mr Rasool have raised serious questions about his conduct as a public representative."

Last week, Western Cape Premier Helen Zille ordered an investigation into all public relations and media companies that had in the past few years received work from local or provincial governments.