Khoza’s demise in ANC a sign that Zuma is on the march again

ANC MP Makhosi Khoza has vowed to continue to fight against corruption from the backbenches of the ANC in parliament – but she says she will never join the DA.

A day after the ANC removed the outspoken parliamentarian from her crucial position as chairperson of the portfolio committee on public service and administration, Khoza yesterday was adamant that she would never betray her moral conscience.

“I’m not capturable and corruptible,” she said.

“When you get a promotion in the ANC today, chances are that you might be captured. When you are demoted, you must be doing something right. It sounds abnormal. Eish.”

Writing on her Facebook page, she vowed to remain and fight corruption from within.

“Like a wife in an abusive relationship, I’m still hoping that sanity would prevail but at some point I have to confront the reality that the ANC is in the moral intensive care unit. It is clinically dead, only a miracle could rescue it. Is it time to pull the plug, kiss them goodbye? I wonder…” she said.

Khoza said she had a lot of thinking to do about her political future, but would not join the opposition ranks.

“Please don’t listen to them when they say I’m going to join the DA. Their intelligence once more is wrong. I’m not and never will. I look forward to being a backbencher,” she said.

Political analyst Ralph Mathekga said yesterday Khoza’s axing was a clear indication that the Zuma camp was dominant in the ANC.

He said it would not end with Khoza and that other “rebels” would be lined up for the guillotine.

“By removing Khoza the message has been made clear – there is one person in charge in the ANC and that person is Zuma,” Mathekga said.

Yesterday, ANC spokesperson Zizi Kodwa upped the ante against Khoza, calling her a “fifth column” and an “attention seeker”.

“It is clear her mandate is to destroy the ANC from within,” he said.

Kodwa accused Khoza of speaking on behalf of the country’s “weak” opposition.

“People like her have become co-opted by handlers and she won’t succeed,” Kodwa said.

He said that, like many before her, Khoza would fall flat on her face when she left the ANC.

André Duvenhage, a professor and director of sustainable social development at North-West University’s Potchefstroom campus, said there was no doubt that the Zuma camp was on the offensive against his opponents.

He said their approach was to use party discipline where the state could not act against those who were disloyal to him as the country’s president.

“I see Khoza as a fighter. She will fight to the bitter end,” Duvenhage said. He said Zuma and his followers were on the warpath and their next target might be Derek Hanekom.

Hanekom, along with former finance minister Pravin Gordhan and his deputy Mcebisi Jonas and others, were fired by Zuma in March.

Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse chief operating officer Ben Theron described Khoza’s removal as “ominous”.

“This is a blatant attempt to shut Khoza up because she speaks out against wrongdoing,” Theron said. – ericn@citizen.co.za