‘Have faith, Muthambi a target’

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 (ANCYL) saying that the axing had been long overdue.

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

ANCYL Secretary-General Njabulo Nzuza said Khoza had joined a list of ANC members who have continued to define themselves outside the party and defy instructions from the party.

Nzuza said Khoza had aligned herself with opposition parties and civil society groups that called for the removal of President Jacob Zuma. He accused Khoza of doing huge damage to the ANC.

“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.

He called on the ANC to act against its deployees in Parliament and in the government who were calling for regime change.

“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 the government and Parliament in particular,” he said.

Nzuza said the ANC needed to send a strong message to members that they were not above the party.

Meanwhile, Outa’s chief operating officer, Ben Theron, said there was an attempt to silence Khoza after she had spoken out against Zuma. He said the ANC had focused on Khoza instead of dealing with the problem of state capture. Her removal came when parliamentary committees 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 that Muthambi was off the hook.

He said they would write to Parliament urging Muthambi be held accountable by the portfolio committee. Khoza was removed a day after five MPs boycotted the committee meeting where Muthambi was to be grilled over expenditure related to friends and relatives flying to Cape Town to attend her budget vote in May.

Muthambi has also been accused of hiring friends and relatives in the department.

The ANC said there had been an irretrievable breakdown of relations between Khoza and ANC MPs in the committee.

Khoza was unavailable to comment yesterday.