Khoza punished for her patriotism

The ANC has tried to rationalise its revenge move against its rebel MP, Makhosi Khoza, by claiming she insulted and disrespected other members of the parliamentary committee which she heads.

But, by removing Khoza as chair of the portfolio committee on public service and administration, the ANC has punished her for having the temerity to get stuck into Public Service Minister Faith Muthambi.

The minister blatantly thumbed her nose at Khoza, parliament and, therefore, the people of South Africa, by failing to attend the committee meeting earlier this week.

Muthambi was called to account for alleged irregular spending totaling more than R300 000. Khoza threatened to hold Muthambi personally responsible for the wasted costs of the committee sitting.

Khoza’s behaviour was nothing other than a patriotic South African trying to prevent government coffers being looted.

That has been her style: She has been one of the fiercest critics of President Jacob Zuma and the ongoing phenomenon of state capture.

In all Khoza has said, it must be noted, she has located her criticism solidly in the ethos of the “real” ANC, the organisation which fought against injustice and for a better life for all.

Sadly, that organisation is increasingly missing in action, as a bunch of latter-day gravy-trainers look to accumulate as much as possible as quickly as possibly.

The losers in all of this, as Khoza has repeatedly pointed out, are the poor people of South Africa, whose lives could have been made measurably better with the billions which have been stolen.

There is no doubt that the current vindictive ANC leadership will, in due course, pursue the ultimate disciplinary action against Khoza and kick her out of the organisation. That will be the country’s gain and the ANC’s loss.