Khoza declines State’s offer of protection

Outspoken ANC MP Makhosi Khoza has declined the State’s offer of protection services‚ saying she has little basis on which to trust the protection offered by Police Minister Fikile Mbalula who has taken to public platforms to aggressively criticise her.

In a Facebook post on Wednesday after she received formal notification of the disciplinary charges she will face from the ANC in KwaZulu-Natal‚ Khoza said that she could not accept protection from the very people who had placed her in heightened danger.

“I cannot expect my ‘executioner’ to plead mercy for me‚” she asserted.

Khoza said she had started receiving death threats over three months ago and had filed police reports over two months ago.

“I begged parliament for protection for myself and my family. This was denied to me. I therefore take action and sourced my own protection services. It was only when the matter was recently thrust into the public domain by media reports‚ were services suddenly offered‚” she stated.

“After much consideration‚ it is clear to me that I cannot accept protection from the same people that have been so reckless in their behaviour and who themselves have placed me in heightened danger.

“Minister of Police and his deputy have taken to public platforms to aggressively criticise me and level completely false and defamatory accusations at me. Despite this I am now expected‚ after months of being ignored‚ to now accept security services from the very people who seek to challenge me. Based on the action of the Minister and his deputy‚ I have little basis upon which to trust the protection that he has offered. While I am grateful that the police have finally recognised the legitimacy of my threats‚ I owe it to my family and myself to continue using the protection that I have already arranged and importantly‚ I trust. Thus‚ I respectfully decline the State’s offer of protection services‚” Khoza said.

- TimesLIVE