PARLIAMENT, August 17 (ANA) – African National Congress (ANC) MP Makhosi Khoza has been removed by the party from her position as chair of Parliament’s portfolio committee on public service and administration in response to her criticism of the party and calls for President Jacob Zuma to step down.
“The Office of the ANC Chief Whip has received a directive from the organisation to relieve comrade Dr Makhosi Khoza from her position of chairperson of the portfolio committee on public service and administration owing to the irretrievable breakdown of relations between herself and ANC members of the committee,” ANC chief whip Jackson Mthembu’s office said.
Mthembu attributed the loss of trust to “her public utterances preceding the motion of no confidence vote in President Jacob Zuma and her continued public attacks on ANC leadership and members of her ANC Caucus who voted against the motion on 08 August 2017”.
He said: “Comrade Khoza’s continued public attacks have led to her alienating ANC members of Parliament including those in her committee resulting in an ill-advised and out-of-line decision to boycott any activity she is involved in. The erosion of trust in her as a chairperson has also led to acrimonious verbal exchanges between her and members of the study group in meetings and on social media.”
Mthembu said the ANC had made numerous attempts to call Khoza to order before deciding to fire her.
He said the decision was effective immediately but she would remain an ANC member of Parliament pending the outcome of a disciplinary process instituted by the provincial leadership of the ANC in KwaZulu-Natal.
Khoza has said that both the ANC and Zuma had lost their way, and refused to retract her remarks.
She could not immediately be reached for comment.
