The ANC in KwaZulu-Natal has lashed out at Makhosi Khoza‚ as it announced that the disciplinary hearing against its outspoken MP would be postponed by a week.

The hearing was set to take place on Sunday‚ but the ANC said that Khoza’s legal representative‚ Smanga Sethene‚ asked for an extension because he had only been briefed on Saturday.

Khoza herself was not at the hearing in Durban‚ with KZN ANC spokesman Mdu Ntuli saying her absence “was a result of new threats that emerged last night“.

Khoza herself took to Facebook on Saturday to say that‚ not only was the time of the hearing changed at short notice‚ but that there were also security risks in changing plans at this late stage.

But Ntuli denied that the times had been changed. He was also critical of Khoza’s public comments on the hearing‚ usually posted on Facebook.

“It is not a usual practice for the proceedings of the disciplinary committee to be regularly communicated to the public. However‚ due to consistent‚ constant and gravely distorted public pronouncements of comrade Makhosi Khoza‚ it is appropriate for the ANC to provide correct and factual accounts of the proceedings‚” said Ntuli in a statement.

He said that the disciplinary hearing started an hour later than scheduled‚ at 10am‚ and that Khoza wasn’t there.

“Sethene also pointed out that he was instructed yesterday‚ 9th September 2017‚ which represented a contradiction from comrade Makhosi Khoza’s formal communication with the Provincial Disciplinary Committee dated 26th July 2017‚ in which she indicated that she was consulting with her representatives‚” said Ntuli.

He added hat it was agreed that the hearing would now take place on September 17 — but that the party wasn’t entirely happy with the decision.

“The Provincial Disciplinary Committee reluctantly acceded to this request and further offered the representative of comrade Makhosi Khoza another opportunity to come for a pre-trial [hearing] during the course of this week but before the 17th September 2017.

“Once again an indisputable fact and evidence contained in all correspondences between the Provincial Disciplinary Committee and comrade Makhosi Khoza confirmed that the hearing was set for Sunday‚ 10th September 2017 and this decision was never directly or indirectly changed‚” he said.