African National Congress (ANC) chief whip Jackson Mthembu has laid a formal complaint against African News Network 7 (ANN7) for a segment alleging he "colluded" with the Democratic Alliance (DA).

Mthembu on Tuesday blasted insinuations by six ANC MPs that he "colluded" with the DA to schedule a debate on State capture in Parliament on Tuesday.

The ANC MPs had held a press conference, aired on Monday evening by ANN7, slamming Mthembu, the current inquiry into Eskom and lead evidence adviser Advocate Ntuthuzelo Vanara.

On Wednesday, Mthembu laid a formal complaint with the Broadcasting Complaints Commission (BCC).

He took offence to the allegations that he "decided to side with the racist DA on a biased Parliamentary debate on state capture" and that it showed a "pro-white monopoly capital faction" had emerged inside the ANC caucus.

"ANN7 repeatedly ran this broadcast over two days and published defamatory comments without having afforded the ANC chief whip a right of reply to these allegations," Mthembu said in his letter to the BCC.

"They failed to be fair, impartial and objective in this instance."

Mthembu also claimed he had proof the press conference had been "staged".

"ANN7 was strangely the only media present at this presser. We have further information that those who called the press conference were directly communicating with someone at ANN7, while crafting what ought to go into their statement."

ANN7 apology

ANN7 owner Mzwenele Manyi, who had bought the channel from the infamous Gupta family in August, posted an apology to Mthembu on Wednesday on Twitter.

"Dear Cde @JacksonMthembu_ The word embarrassment does not even begin to describe how I feel about what @Ann7tv did to you," Manyi tweeted.

"ANN7 will play an apology throughout the day. AND your right of reply when you are ready."

Manyi promised that internal disciplinary proceedings would be "unleashed".

Mthembu explained before the debate that Parliament has, over time, established a rotational basis where political parties introduce motions for debate in the National Assembly.

Tuesday was the DA's turn for such a motion, he said.

"The insinuation that the majority party in Parliament can direct the opposition [as to what] their motions for debate ought to be and vice versa, is not only malicious, but also very dangerous to the functioning of a healthy multi-party democratic Parliament."

Mthembu said he would also escalate the action of the MPs, which included Loyiso Mpumlwana, Moloko Maila and Mervyn Dirks, to the ANC's national leadership.