Durban — Dr Makhosi Khoza is back in the political spotlight – she’s decided to join the Abanto Batho Congress (ABC) headed by Philani “PG” Mavundla, mayor of the Umvoti Local Municipality in KwaZulu-Natal.
Mavundla announced that Khoza would be the party’s deputy president, while Jacky Shandu takes on the role of deputy secretary-general. Mfundo Masondo is the national chairperson and Dr James Mthethwa, the deputy national chairperson.
Speaking to the Sunday Tribune, Khoza, a former ANC member of Parliament, who started her own political party, African Democratic Change (ADeC) before joining ActionSA, said she was returning to politics to fight for the rights of “native South Africans”, and to ensure that they had access to land and service delivery.
She said that being president of the Bantu Languages Development Institute had inspired her decision to join the ABC due to its entrenchment in the development of Bantu linguistic communities in the country. Khoza said she believed she was a suitable candidate for the deputy president position.
“The ABC has trusted me with the position, and the reason people trust me is because I do not take sh**. I am a very principled politician. I am not a career politician. I am a leader who has a very strong moral standing. If something is nonsense, then it is simply just that to me.
“Part of the reason I left ADeC was because there was a ‘Ramaphoria’ and everyone believed that Ramaphosa was coming to be a saviour and a Messiah. The funders of ADeC told me to join him, and I told them that this man would be worse than Zuma and I stood by what I believed in. I am for change, for the South African native.
“I was fired from ActionSA because I refused to allow a white man who was less qualified and experienced than me to be chair of Municipal Public Finance Committee,” she said.
Khoza, who was critical of former president Jacob Zuma, whom she had previously accused of corruption, has mended her relationship with him. She said she was inspired by her realisation of an agenda to divide South African natives and discredit Zuma.
“We cannot allow a situation where there is a selective application of justice, and (former) president Jacob Zuma deserves my apology, to say I did not know there was another agenda ... Besides that, let us celebrate black excellence, and it is about time that we unite as South African natives, and yes, I am uniting with Zuma because I believe he was courageous for snubbing the ANC for betraying our mission of liberating South African natives.
“I agree with him. I was with the ANC for 35 years and I feel betrayed by them. We did not fight for the looting of first-grade coal and load shedding. Zuma did not enable looting of our first-grade coal, and the current unemployment rate. So, no one will tell me anything, I know my story.
“I am not fighting to be trusted, but I am fighting for a just South Africa. For as long as I am still alive and I still have energy and sanity, I will fight for the South African native,” she said.
Meanwhile, political activist Shandu said he was drawn to the party by its drive for the liberation of black South Africans, whom he believed were sidelined and not catered for, adding that ABC would ensure that their dignity was restored.
Sunday Tribune