Khoza’s appeal is expected to be finalised next week but he said, judging from Malema’s comments, his time was done with the EFF.
“It appears that the appeal would just be a formality.”
He maintained he had no problem with consequence management being implemented but believed steps taken against him and the councillors were too harsh.
“For a party to function optimally, you must have some form of consequence management. I, however, have a problem with the harshness of the sentence.
“I think it was unreasonably harsh, it lacked humanity and compassion.
“You have councillors who came through in 2021 and just started to get their lives in order but now they are expected to resign, which means they have lost everything. I think it was too much and should have been handled differently.”
Khoza said he had no regrets about joining the party after leaving the ANC.
“I have no regrets. I joined a party because I believed in it. I played my role when I was given the responsibility to lead it in KZN and did so with distinction because you can only measure that with the results and growth of the party.
“I have an appreciation of the opportunity I was given. I learnt a lot and grew a lot.
“I am looking forward to the next step. One thing is for sure, I am not going down, I am going up. Even if it means I must start afresh like I did with the EFF.”
The appeal over the expulsion process of councillors is expected to take place later this month.
The debate continues on social media:
‘A good leader but surrounded by hyenas and vultures’: former EFF MP Vusi Khoza bids Malema farewell
Despite being criticised by EFF leader Julius Malema, ousted MP Vusi Khoza says he still respects Malema and believes the endorsement of his expulsion was ill-advised by “hyenas and vultures” close to him.
The former EFF KwaZulu-Natal leader was expelled last month by the party's central command team after a disciplinary hearing found him guilty of breaching party rules for refusing to resign as an MP.
Khoza was ordered to resign as an MP as a consequence of failing to hire 20 buses to transport KZN supporters to Johannesburg for the party's 10-year celebrations.
Malema publicly endorsed Khoza’s expulsion. When he was asked about the effects of ousting him and 62 councillors so close to national elections, he said: “How can that person make you lose votes if they cannot bring a bus? That thing is not a human being. Let him go and plough in the field in the village.”
Khoza told TimesLIVE he believed Malema’s comments about him were a result of some party members close to the leader telling lies about him.
“There might be nothing wrong with the leader, but he might be surrounded by people who lie to him or misrepresent certain things. I still have respect for him [Malema] but the biggest challenge is he is surrounded by hyenas, vultures and scavengers. All I am saying is we must be mindful of those things.”
Khoza did not mention names but said this was based on his observations during his time in the party.
He was formally removed as an MP on Wednesday after EFF deputy leader Floyd Shivambu wrote to speaker of parliament, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula.
“The speaker wrote to me on November 1 that given I was no longer an EFF member, it meant I could no longer be an MP.”
Khoza’s appeal is expected to be finalised next week but he said, judging from Malema’s comments, his time was done with the EFF.
“It appears that the appeal would just be a formality.”
He maintained he had no problem with consequence management being implemented but believed steps taken against him and the councillors were too harsh.
“For a party to function optimally, you must have some form of consequence management. I, however, have a problem with the harshness of the sentence.
“I think it was unreasonably harsh, it lacked humanity and compassion.
“You have councillors who came through in 2021 and just started to get their lives in order but now they are expected to resign, which means they have lost everything. I think it was too much and should have been handled differently.”
Khoza said he had no regrets about joining the party after leaving the ANC.
“I have no regrets. I joined a party because I believed in it. I played my role when I was given the responsibility to lead it in KZN and did so with distinction because you can only measure that with the results and growth of the party.
“I have an appreciation of the opportunity I was given. I learnt a lot and grew a lot.
“I am looking forward to the next step. One thing is for sure, I am not going down, I am going up. Even if it means I must start afresh like I did with the EFF.”
The appeal over the expulsion process of councillors is expected to take place later this month.
The debate continues on social media:
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