Makhosi Khoza shouldn’t be subjected to intimidation and threats – Gordhan

ANC MP Pravin Gordhan has thrown his weight behind her counterpart in parliament, Makhosi Khoza, saying she should not be subjected to intimidation and threats over her stance to vote with her “conscience” in the upcoming vote of no confidence in President Jacob Zuma.

Speaking to eNCA on the sidelines of the SA Communist Party’s (SACP) 14th national congress in Boksburg, Ekurhuleni, on Wednesday, the former minister said National Assembly speaker Baleka Mbete should be impartial when she eventually decides on whether the vote should be conducted by way of a secret ballot or an open vote.

“She must have her democratic right to express her view. She should not be subjected to the intimidation and the threats she and her family have been subjected to. And I think the head of parliament needs to be a lot more careful about how comments are made in this particular regard because impartiality is absolutely critical,” he said.

On Tuesday night, Khoza, who has been outspoken about the current state of the ANC under Zuma’s leadership, revealed her daughter had also been receiving death threats from the same people who have been intimidating her since her Facebook post in April about the motion of no confidence.

She was speaking at a public debate in Cape Town on the forthcoming vote, where she told reporters she had opened two cases with police and even wrote to Mbete last week requesting that the debate be carried out through a secret ballot for safety reasons.

‘Political consciousness’

Gordhan said many in the ANC had joined the liberation movement because of their conscience and urged citizens to “connect the new set of dots” regarding the secret ballot that will take place on August 8 and the political circumstances in the country.

“Conscience is still an important factor for all of us. Many people have joined the anti-apartheid struggle because of conscience and, in addition to conscience, because of a political consciousness, which enabled us to distinguish between what is right and what was wrong,” he said.

“[We need] to ask ourselves are we just going to be passive passengers in this process, or are we going to be active citizens that are going to look after our country?”

Watch the full interview below:

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