[JURIST] The Johannesburg High Court has banned the release of a newspaper article revealing a corruption scandal involving the nation's ruling African National Congress (ANC) [political party website], requiring South Africa's leading independant newspaper, the Mail and Guardian [media website], to prevent the distribution of its entire 45,000 issue run. Last week, the newpaper ran the first article in a series alleging that ANC used the South African oil company Imvune Management to channel $1.7 million from the state to the party. The court found the information was gathered illegally because the paper refused to reveal its sources. The paper responded in an editorial saying it was "the first time since the apartheid states banning of the M&G under emergency regulations in the late 1980s that the paper has been muzzled. '' Afrol News has more. The Mail & Guardian has local coverage.