Azra Hoosen | ah@radioislam.co.za
16 February 2024 | 10:00 CAT
3 min read

Former ANC MP Dr Makhosi Khoza returns to politics after a year-long hiatus, joining the Abantu Batho Congress (ABC) as deputy president, signalling a significant shift in the political landscape following the party’s national general congress fallout.

Speaking to Radio Islam, Dr. Makhosi Khoza explained why she joined the Abantu Batho Congress (ABC). “I have been the president of the Bantu Languages Development Institute (Bala-Di) for the past 30 years. During this time, I noticed that the nine official Bantu languages of South Africa have been disregarded and lost their relevance. Through my research, I found that isiZulu has a mathematical configuration that could aid in demystifying mathematics. However, the government is not investing enough in language development, and our education system is still struggling with remnants of Bantu education. This realisation led me to join the Abantu Batho Congress (ABC), where the prominence of the Kings in the organisation resonated with my beliefs,” she said.

Dr Kohza believes the omission of kings and queens from the equation is a critical oversight that has left the South African Native community in the dark. She said it is a disservice to the SA natives who have been short-changed again and that recognising and including their voices and perspectives in any forward-looking initiatives is imperative.

Dr Khoza emphasised that having dedicated over 30 years to the ANC; her departure was no laughing matter.

“I am not going to be making excuses for being a part of a white-supremacist agenda, it is well known that when founding African Democratic Change (ADeC), I faced pressure from funders to join President Cyril Ramaphosa, whom I warned would be worse than former President Zuma,” she said.

She pointed out that her warnings fell on deaf ears, and without funding, there seemed no path forward for ADeC. “I was fired from ActionSA because I accepted the position of fighting corruption in eThekwini. Had they not fired me for accepting the position as the eThekwini Municipal Public Accounts Committee chairperson, we may not have the problems we face today with sewage spills on our beaches,” she said.

Dr Khoza emphasised that society often subjects women to harsh judgment, lacking objectivity in their assessments. “If I have to be a member of multiple political parties, if people are not aligned with my objectives, that is what I will do,” she added.

Dr Khosa highlighted the backlash from ActionSA when raising concerns about the situation in Palestine. “I warned them about what was going to happen in Palestine, but Herman Mashaba was hopping mad at me for siding with the people of Palestine. I reminded him that I come from a liberation movement culture, and we honour the people from Palestine because they were with us during the hard days when Apartheid in South Africa confronted us. Nevertheless, Mashaba was unhappy with me because they side with Israel,” she said. She also pointed out that the turnover rate at ActionSA has been notable, as many individuals have been terminated or forced to depart. Unfortunately, such is the nature of politics.

The former ANC veteran disclosed that she met with former President Jacob Zuma but ultimately determined that MK’s (uMkhonto we Sizwe) military approach was not conducive to the country’s development.

Dr Khosa said she refuses to align herself with the selective application of justice. “I refuse to participate in agendas that seek to divide black people. It does not mean I am a fan of Zuma, but the fact that there is looting of first grade coal, nobody is standing up and saying Ramaphosa must fall. I am doing it deliberately; I do not want hypocrisy. If we seek change, we have to be consistent with applying justice across the board equally, without being selective,” she said.

LISTEN to the full interview with Ml Sulaimaan Ravat and Political veteran Dr Makhosi Khoza, here.