ANCYL's Sizophila Mkhize yet to see charge sheet for 'racist' Phoenix remarks

02 August 2021 - 15:45
By mawande amashabalala AND Mawande AmaShabalala
ANC national youth task team member Sizophila Mkhize says the ANC is yet to charge her for what it termed as her 'derogatory remarks' in Phoenix. File photo
Image: Facebook/Mathekga Senyolo ANC national youth task team member Sizophila Mkhize says the ANC is yet to charge her for what it termed as her 'derogatory remarks' in Phoenix. File photo

ANC national youth task team (NYTT) member Sizophila Mkhize says she is yet to be served with formal communication regarding disciplinary action by the ANC parent body.

This was despite the ANC having announced last week that Mkhize would be hauled over the coals for “racist” remarks she made in Phoenix, KwaZulu-Natal.

Mkhize said she only saw the ANC statement on social media networks but had not received any formal communication.

She has been taking heat on multiple fronts after her visit to Phoenix where scores of people died during the unrest and looting spree that rocked the province more than a fortnight ago.

The ANC has not sent me anything, so I do not even know how to respond.
Sizophila Mkhize

While addressing ANC supporters in Phoenix, Mkhize launched an attack on people of Indian descent.

“This is not a matter of racism from both sides. Here we have a problem of Indians who killed our people, there is no need to sugar-coat this issue,” Mkhize said, speaking in isiZulu.

“We also have a firm belief that the economy of KwaZulu-Natal and that of eThekwini are in the control of people of Indian ancestry. Africans are only good for EPWP (extended public works programme) whereas all business goes to Indians.”

The ANC, through national spokesperson Pule Mabe, last week announced that Mkhize would be subjected to a disciplinary process for her “derogatory and racist” utterances “that bring our movement into disrepute”.

Mkhize said she had not been served with such a notice.

“I do not even know about that [disciplinary] process. I saw the statement trending on Twitter and Facebook and sent to me on WhatsApp but there is no formal communication that I have received. The ANC has not sent me anything, so I do not even know how to respond,” said Mkhize on Monday.

Mkhize refused to elaborate on a social media post she issued at midnight on Sunday saying people were threatening to kill her.

She said the police were handling the matter and she was advised to refrain from engaging in running commentary about it.

In the Twitter post, Mkhize challenged those who had issued death threats against her to “do whatever you want to do and stop calling me”, adding that she would not be the first to die for political reasons.

Mabe and ANCYL task team convener Nonceba Mhlauli were not immediately available for comment.

TimesLIVE