Malema: As a ‘pig eats its children’, ‘coward’ Mantashe removed Khoza

The EFF has expressed outrage that the woman hoping to hold Minister Faith Muthambi accountable is instead the one being punished.

In the wake of the much-anticipated decision by the ANC to fire MP Makhosi Khoza as the chair of the public service and administration committee in parliament, EFF leader Julius Malema has led the outraged response.

In a brutal allusion to the famous quote by 18th-century French journalist Jean Louis Mallet, who wrote “like Saturn, the Revolution devours its children,” Malema wrote that the “pig is eating its own children, finish and klaar”.

Khoza has won major approval with the EFF for her outspoken stance against President Jacob Zuma and corruption in general.

This week Khoza said she intended to make Minister of Public Service and Administration Faith Muthambi account for her no-show at a meeting to which she was summoned.
Khoza said she would engage parliament’s legal services for advice on the procedure to be followed in this regard. Muthambi and her department officials, including her head of department, Mashwahle Diphofa, had been subpoenaed to appear before the committee next week.




Khoza was also adamant that Muthambi has to account for every cent spent on a trip she arranged for family and friends to the opening of parliament and for her and her officials to pay for the cost of the committee sitting.

The decision was supported by all members of the committee who attended on Tuesday, with the EFF’s Mbuyiseni Ndlozi adding that if Muthambi failed to come next week she must be arrested.

However, all of that is unlikely to happen now.

In a statement on Thursday afternoon, ANC chief whip Jackson Mthembu said his office had “received a directive” to remove Khoza because of an irretrievable breakdown of her relationship with other ANC MPs.

Khoza has been clear that she intends to hold public officials accountable and also voted against President Jacob Zuma in the recent no-confidence vote.

Mthembu said her public utterances had alienated her from her fellow MPs and caused “acrimonious exchanges ” between them.

The ANC has instituted disciplinary procedures against her and Mthembu clarified that she would remain as an MP – for now.

He added that a disciplinary process had also been initiated against the ANC’s study group members who had boycotted Khoza’s portfolio committee meeting on Tuesday.

There was also widespread outrage from other politicians and members of the public on social media.