EFF MP Vusi Khoza, who was one of the 210 public representatives who failed to bus in supporters to the party's 10th birthday rally in July, says he is ready to resign from his R1 million per annum deployment in Parliament.
On Sunday, Economic Freedom Fighters leader Julius Malema announced that the red berets had elected to recall 210 public representatives who failed to provide buses for their supporters to the birthday rally, which was held at the FNB Stadium in Joburg in July.
The list had initially been in excess of 400 public representatives. The members had been given over five months to provide buses for the event.
Malema explained the criteria for busing in supporters was not the same, explaining that public representatives in Joburg and Gauteng had to contribute more as they were closer and therefore, it would be closer.
Joburg councillor - contribute 5 buses
Gauteng councillors - 5 buses
Rest of SA councillors - 1 bus
Gauteng MPLs - 15 buses each
Other SA MPLs - 10 buses
Rest of SA MPs - 20 buses
Gauteng-based MPs - 50 buses
At the beginning of August, Khoza told IOL he would step down if the party called on him to do so.
Malema had implored the public representatives to “just resign”.
Speaking to IOL on Monday night, Khoza confirmed he was one of 210 public representatives, including MPs, MPLs, and councillors, who were set to be recalled by the party.
As a former EFF KZN chairperson and MP, he was one of the most senior public representatives to get the boot.
"It is true; I am on that list, and I am currently waiting for the formal correspondence from the Office of the Secretary General (Marshall Dlamini)," he said.
Khoza told IOL that he had been called before the EFF leadership to make his representations about the bus saga.
"It is simple; I made my representation to the leadership and I explained that I live in a rural area of uMgababa; there are no rich people here who can assist me with buses, and I told them that there were those who promised that they could assist me, but they dropped me in the last minute," he said.
Khoza, who resides in eThekwini’s Ward 98 in uMgababa, a semi-rural town south of Durban, said he would not protest his removal any further.
"It is like a soccer team; you don't get substituted only because you have failed; sometimes you might be rested for the next match.
"I don't feel hard done by, not at all; deployment is at the behest of the organisation. Why would you feel aggrieved when you are recalled? You must accept it like you accepted it when you were deployed.
"What I can tell you, with or without a position, I will be in politics for a very long time. I am staying in politics; I will never leave politics," he said.
Khoza said he would continue to be a loyal member of the red berets, and that he was grateful to have served as a public representative for nine years.
"When we joined the EFF, there was no position; we did not join for positions... I will remain a loyal member of the organisation because I believe in its principles and policies," he said.
Khoza helped oversee massive EFF growth in the KZN province when the red berets quadrupled its support in KZN from under 70,000 votes in the 2014 general elections, to over 300,000 at the last general elections in 2019.
PARTY BAKKIES
Asked about his EFF bakkie, which all EFF public representatives were expected to have for organisational work and to help members of the community in their communities, he said it was paid off already.
"I am living a simple life; I live a debt-free life; I don't owe anybody. I am a simple person, I am not affected, whether there is a job or no job, I will continue to live, I was not in it for money.
"I have no flashy cars, no designer labels; I am comfortable," he said.
IOL