Removing Khoza while ignoring Muthambi a disgrace
There is no logical explanation as to why the ANC took the decision to remove outspoken Makhosi Khoza as chairwoman of parliament’s public service and administration committee.
Ill-discipline is the order of the day in the governing party at the moment. The move on her is factional.
Several ANC MPs, including the ones that boycotted her committee meeting last week, should be disciplined as well.
As much as they are in parliament on an ANC ticket, they have a constitutional responsibility to do oversight on government work.
They have also undermined the voters who gave the ANC a mandate to be in parliament.
They clearly do not take their work seriously.
It is sad that the MPs that boycotted the meeting colluded with Public Service and Administration Minister Faith Muthambi, who was supposed to be grilled in that meeting.
She was going to answer to serious allegations against her of nepotism and also flying her family to Cape Town for her budget vote at taxpayers’ expense while she was still the minister of communications.
How will MPs that colluded with her grill her on why she wasted taxpayers’ money?
It remains to be seen if she will ever appear before the committee.
However, the ANC should explain why Muthambi has not been disciplined by now.
Muthambi is very close to President Jacob Zuma and she is part of his faction that is campaigning for former African Union Commission chairwoman Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma to become party president in December.
Muthambi still has to be disciplined after the ad hoc committee on the South African Broadcasting Commission earlier this year made damning findings against her.
To date, there has been no word from parliament, the executive or the ANC about taking action against her.
Khoza, who is calling on the ANC to correct its ways, is seen as any enemy that should be punished.
The ANC, both in her home province of KwaZulu-Natal and at Luthuli House, were quick to act against her while Muthambi remains standing.
When the ANC took action to remove Khoza, it was supposed to have lambasted and charged its Perfect Wedding My MPs that boycotted Khoza’s committee.
Muthambi and the five ANC MPs who boycotted the meeting said they would not appear before Khoza because she had been charged with ill-discipline by the ANC in KwaZulu-Natal.
The decision to remove Khoza came from Luthuli House, and it was an instruction from party chief whip Jackson Mthembu, who was at pains when announcing the decision.
Mthembu is also not safe because Zuma’s faction in parliament wants to remove him.
He has raised concerns around state capture that point to the president.
The reason some leaders have opted to speak out indicates that inside the ANC there is no space for introspection.
It is not too late to self-correct.