KZN Youth League told to end Khoza fight
THE ANC Youth League in eThekwini region has succumbed to pressure from its main body to stop all planned pickets against ANC MP Makhosi Khoza.
The league threatened to picket outside Khoza’s Hillcrest home, going as far as publishing her address on social media. It also threatened to disrupt the Making Africa Work book launch she attended yesterday.
The pickets were part of a campaign to force Khoza to resign. She has been embroiled in a long-running feud with the league over her criticism of the ANC and President Jacob Zuma’s controversial cabinet reshuffle, and her support for a secret ballot in the proposed vote of no-confidence.
Regional secretary Thinta Cibane wrote on his Facebook account: “The ANCYL in eThekwini will this week step up it efforts to encourage Dr ‘Light weight’ Makhosi Khoza to resign. We will be having pickets on 18 May 2017 at **** Road Hillcrest and also at Elangeni Maharani at 17:30. We will‚ as the League‚ confront hypocrisy and fake morality. #MakhosiMustFall.”
But the ANC provincial leadership asked the league to employ other means of engagement. “We are against her comments but her home is not a political platform; it would have been wrong to go there,” regional secretary Bheki Ntuli said.
The league’s eThekwini region spokesperson Thulisa Ndlela said it did not believe the picket would have posed a danger. “We will continue to lobby that she be removed. Makhosi is a danger to the ANC. We are convinced she is contributing in opposition efforts to erase the ANC from existence. There are other MPs like her, but because she is from our region, we are calling for her removal.”
Khoza said she worried about her safety and that of her children.
“When a structure pronounces against you, they are speaking to their members. They may reverse their statements but they have no control over their membership. Picketing at my house would have been against my children… I live in Cape Town. Who knows what they would have done.”
Khoza urged the league to engage with her in a debate, saying she refused to have her constitutional right to freedom of speech infringed upon.