The chairperson of the ANC Youth League (ANCYL) in the eThekwini region, Kwazi Mshengu, has denied that his party is compromising the safety of ANC MP,Dr Makhosi Khoza.
The party earlier publicised the Hillcrest address of the chairperson of the portfolio committee on public service and administration on social media. The party was retaliating to Khoza’s stance on the vote of no confidence, as she believes ANC MPs should vote with their conscience instead of toeing the party line.
Khoza’s safety became an issue earlier this year when, after an oversight visit to a hospital in Mpumalanga, she received death threats from anonymous callers.
Opposition lawmakers slammed the police minister for providing comprehensive security detail to the former chairperson of the African Union (AU) Commission and ANC presidential hopeful Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, but failing to provide the same protective services to the embattled MP.
“Dr Makhosi Khoza is the one who distributed her own physical address to the media when she wrote a letter complaining about a certain journalist. She wanted the journalist to refer to her as doctor,” Mshengu told SABC’s Morning Live.
When reminded that it was quite acceptable for Khoza to disclose her own address of her own volition, Mshengu refused to take responsibility for his party’s actions.
READ MORE: Makhosi Khoza: Death threats won’t silence me
“Dr Khoza is the one who distributed her own address. This is the same woman who, after failing to [be] appointed an MEC when she was chief whip in the legislature [KZN], absconded for five months. She even worked for a certain NGO while she was still an MP,” Mshengu said.
This did not sit well with Leanne Manas, who interjected. “I am not asking you for her CV,” she told Mshengu.
Mshengu proceeded with his onslaught.
“Dr Khoza is the one who chose to speak outside of the party as a deployee to Parliament,” he countered and refused to accept that the league’s action could have devastating repercussions for the MP.
Khoza shot to prominence when she chaired a parliamentary ad hoc committee set up to shortlist candidates for the position of the public protector. The position was eventually filled by Advocate Busisiwe Mkhwebane.
Earlier this year, she wrote an open letter to the ruling party on her Facebook profile, bemoaning kleptomania and lack of internal debate about leadership and governance within the party.
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