By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
ActionSA has terminated the membership of Dr Makhosi Khosa following recommendations by its Ethics and Disciplinary Committee.
The party instituted a disciplinary inquiry into Khoza’s conduct in January.
She faced internal charges, including bringing the party into disrepute, deliberately acting in a way that negatively impacted the party and acting in a manner that caused disunity in the party.
On Tuesday morning, the party said the senate reached the decision after a recommendation by the party’s ethics and disciplinary committee.
The eThekwini metro council elected Khoza as chairperson of the Municipal Public Accounts Committee (MPAC) in December, a position that has always been occupied by a councillor from the governing party, the ANC.
Following Khoza’s election, there were allegations from within ActionSA’s national leadership that she was colluding with the ANC after their eThekwini councillors unanimously voted for her.
Michael Beaumont, ActionSA national chairperson, said the party launched a disciplinary inquiry into Khoza’s conduct following a series of public outbursts in January.
According to Beaumont, the charges included bringing the party into disrepute, deliberately acting in a way that negatively impacted the party and acting in a manner that caused disunity in the party.
He added that the evidence brought against Dr Khoza included numerous public utterances and comments made to the media which were deemed to have been made with the intention of bringing ActionSA into disrepute.
He said a disciplinary panel, chaired by advocate Gill Benson, was convened and prosecuted by ActionSA’s Western Cape chairperson Vytjie Mentor.
According to Beaumont, ActionSA’s ethics and disciplinary committee found Khoza guilty of all charges and recommended that her party membership be terminated.
“There is no reasonable explanation for her continued abuse of the party, which she purports to promote. As a high-standing member of the party, she disregards the reputational damage to the party, for apparent publicity and self-gain,” the disciplinary report read.
“Her loyalties do not lie with ActionSA and instead lie with aspiring to grow her own political aspirations at the great cost of her constituency and ActionSA,” it further read.
Beaumont said evidence before the panel also confirmed that there had been communication between Khoza and ringleaders of a group who were plotting to “deal with” ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba.
In the 24-page report, the disciplinary panel indicated that Khoza had not challenged the evidence placed before the panel, and the panel had no choice other than to consider the case in terms of whether the conduct of Khoza could be excused.