ActionSA terminates Makhosi Khoza’s membership

22 March 2022

At a meeting held last night, 21 March 2022, ActionSA’s Senate resolved to terminate the membership of Dr Makhosi Khoza on the recommendations of its Ethics and Disciplinary Committee.

Following a series of public outbursts in January, ActionSA instituted a disciplinary inquiry into the conduct of Dr Khoza, with charges including bringing the Party into disrepute, deliberately acting in a way that negatively impacts the Party and acting in a manner that causes disunity in the Party.

A disciplinary panel was convened, chaired by Advocate Gill Benson (former Acting Judge in the High Court) and prosecuted by ActionSA’s Western Cape Provincial Chairperson, Ms Vytjie Mentor. The Ethics and Disciplinary Committee was unanimous in finding Dr Khoza guilty on all charges and recommending the termination of her membership.

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.

“There is no reasonable explanation for her continued abuse of the Party, which she purports s to promote. As a high standing member of the Party, she disregards the reputational damage to the party, for apparent publicity and self-gain. 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.” Disciplinary Report.

Further to this, evidence before the panel demonstrated communication with ringleaders of a group of dismissed members from Soweto who had previously been found to have acted to deliberately destabilise the Party. In this communication Khoza and the ringleader of this group were found to be plotting to “deal with” Mashaba. This conversation took place in close proximity to a protest by these former members outside the City of Johannesburg Council Chamber in which they can be heard chanting Khoza’s name.

In the 24-page report, the disciplinary panel indicated that Dr 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 Dr Khoza could be excused. In this respect the panel found Dr Khoza to be prone to conspiracy theories, aggressive behaviour and even continuing to threaten the Party with threats to damage its reputation further.

ActionSA is pleased that its internal institutions have proven effective in addressing this matter in a manner that is fair and in a manner that was decisive. As a Party we cannot guarantee the conduct of our members, this lies with their ethics and values. What we can assure all South Africans, is that unacceptable conduct will be identified and addressed both fairly and decisively.

ActionSA holds no ill-will towards Dr Khoza. While her actions may not have been excusable, Dr Khoza remains an individual who has played an important role in South African politics. We wish Dr Khoza well in her future endeavours outside of ActionSA.

Issued by Michael Beaumont, National Chairperson, ActionSA, 21 March 2022