ANC defends KZN officials’ decision to charge MP Khoza for misconduct  

The ANC has defended the decision by the party in KwaZulu-Natal to charge MP Makhosi Khoza with ill-discipline, saying she was not charged for calling on President Jacob Zuma to go, but for her conduct that “flies against ANC rules and disciplinary code”.

ANC spokesperson Zizi Kodwa on Wednesday said Khoza was not being singled out for her critical public statements on the current state of the governing party, but because of her “flagrant defiance of the party”, News24 reported.

“She is in violation of her oath of membership and violation of party discipline, because what is the point of joining the ANC if you can’t abide by its own rules?”

On Tuesday, the ANC provincial executive committee in KZN charged Khoza with misconduct for breaching 11 party rules, bringing the party into disrepute and behaving in a manner that provokes divisions or negatively affects the unity of the ANC.

The party also made attachments of her four Facebook posts to her charge sheet, which were critical of the ANC.

Kodwa also revealed to the news website that the ANC had tried on numerous occasions to reach the outspoken MP, but she had apparently ignored their calls.

He dismissed suggestions that the ANC was applying double standards in Khoza’s case and said other senior party members who had criticised the organisation in public – Derek Hanekom, Pravin Gordhan and Jackson Mthembu – had been summoned to Luthuli House to answer to the party’s top six officials and were warned to stop.

“We spoke to them and said, do not do it again. Disciplinary action must be the last resort to deal with a comrade, because comrades might not be aware they are in violation, so we call them and say it is not right,” Kodwa said.

ALSO READ:

//