Khoza will appear before the province’s disciplinary panel headed by Ravi Pillay on Sunday, but recent events had made her fear the possibility of an “ambush”.

The time and date of the hearing had made her suspicious, as not many meetings of this type were held on Sunday afternoons, she said.

“Many of these recent killings, they have been killed at meetings,” she told News24 on Friday.

Former ANC Youth League secretary general Sindiso Magaqa, who died from gunshot wounds on Monday in an attack in the province, and had not even been buried yet, she said.

Other deaths include the killings of councillors in various municipalities, including the death of a councillor in Richmond in July.

She said she had requested that the hearing be moved to a day during the week, but Pillay had refused. The party had ignored the facts in her appeal, she said.

“I’ve let the secretary general and everyone know my concerns… I will still go, but I am beginning to ask questions,” she said.

She had not yet made up her mind about her future in the ANC, but said some of those questions revolved around whether she could continue to put up with abuse.

Vocal critic

As a woman in SA, she was questioning what message was being sent, considering the worst accusation against her was that of “having a conscience”.

Khoza said she wanted to be part of a party that stood for principles that resonate with her, but the ANC had shown “how far they will go to protect corruption”.

Khoza has been charged by the KwaZulu-Natal ANC for bringing the party into disrepute.

She has been a vocal critic of the party’s current leadership, especially President Jacob Zuma, and had publicly called for him to step down before the motion of no confidence against him was held via secret ballot in August.

She has received multiple death threats against her and her daughter’s life since first going public with her criticism in April.

Khoza was recently removed from her position as chairperson of the portfolio committee on public service and administration, after five ANC MPs boycotted one of her meetings.

She believes the boycott was part of a campaign orchestrated by Public Service and Administration Minister Faith Muthambi to have her removed as chairperson.

She has since been moved to the portfolio committee on economic development. DM