Division over Khoza’s sacking

THE fallout over the expulsion of Makhosi Khoza as chairperson of the portfolio committee on public service and administration is continuing, with the ANC Youth League saying it was long overdue.

But the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa) and the DA said yesterday it did not mean Public Service and Administration Minister Faith Muthambi was off the hook over allegations that she blew thousands of rand flying her friends and family to Cape Town for her budget vote.

Khoza was unavailable for comment yesterday.

ANCYL secretary-general Njabulo Nzuza said Khoza had joined a list of ANC members who had continued to define themselves outside the party and defying instructions from the party.

Nzuza said Khoza had aligned herself with opposition parties and civil society groups that had called for the removal of President Jacob Zuma.

He accused Khoza of doing huge damage to the ANC by her conduct. “The constitution of the ANC clearly identifies comrade Khoza’s conduct and that of deployees in her subversive path as a serious violation that must be acted upon firmly,” said Nzuza.

“For the sake of the ANC’s organisational integrity, the ANCYL calls for harsher measures and the immediate restoration of the organisation’s authority over its deployees in government and Parliament in particular,” he said.

Outa’s chief operating officer, Ben Theron, said Khoza’s sacking was an attempt to muzzle her for speaking out against Zuma.

He said the ANC had focused on Khoza instead of dealing with state capture.

Her removal came at the time committees of Parliament wanted more money to investigate state capture.

“This inquiry is crucial as it includes looking into the state capture of Eskom,” said Theron.

DA deputy chief whip Mike Waters said the removal of Khoza did not mean Muthambi was off the hook.

He said they would write to Parliament urging that Muthambi be held accountable by the portfolio committee, which was previously chaired by Khoza.