Only five months after starting a new political party‚ African Democratic Change (ADeC) leader Makhosi Khoza has resigned from politics.

The former ANC MP on Saturday announced her decision to leave the party on Facebook.

“I thought I should make my announcement public about retirement from politics.

“As the leading founder of ADeC and its director of its Non-Profit Organisation (NPO)‚ I therefore resign from both structures and authorise the ADeC National Board under the chairmanship of Moses Mayekiso to liaise with the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) and the other directors of the non-profit organisations to fill the vacant position as a result of my resignation and stepping down from politics.”

The party was launched in December and was supposed to focus on the quality of Ubuntu and unemployment. “I don’t know of any other party that has ever unpacked the philosophy of Ubuntu‚” she said in December. </s> The African Democratic Change (ADeC) political party has on Sunday welcomed the resignation of its former president Makhosi Khoza, slamming her "dictatorial" leadership.

"We register our displeasure and disappointment in the manner in which Makhosi Khoza dragged the process," said acting spokesperson Bongani Masilela in a statement.

READ: Makhosi Khoza Retires From Politics Just Months After New Party Formed

"Makhosi Khoza had presented herself as the supreme leader of the party by making dictatorial decisions which had put the party into disrepute.

"She has done and said things that were out of context to those of the party and its nature, presenting herself to be above the organisation."

The party still wanted to carry out the disciplinary hearing of all charged members on Monday, April 23 before dealing with the IEC registration process, and also needed to do away with the party's so-called Non-Profit Organisation.

REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko Makhosi Khoza gestures during an interview with Reuters in Johannesburg, South Africa, July 18,2017.

The party also said that her resignation signalled "a new dawn" for ADeC.

"We wish to send a message to all media houses and all South Africans to grow and move away from the belief that a political party belongs to an individual."

Instead, the party was registered with the IEC and therefore remained "public property".

The party then wished Khoza well.

"Makhosi Khoza still has a lot to offer South Arica and [we] wish her well her future endeavours."

On Saturday, Khoza, who resigned from the ANC last year and formed the ADeC, announced that she was retiring from politics for a new opportunity.

"I feel time has come for me to pursue and fulfill my bigger mission in this life as outlined in the opening paragraph above. My bigger mission is beyond the confines of politics and political parties," she wrote on Facebook.

She will be joining her son in developing algorithms for African languages.

Last month, an intense battle for the control of Khoza's new party came to light, with Thokozani Msomi, who claimed to be the party's deputy president, saying that Khoza had been suspended for bringing the party into disrepute.

Msoni's statement said the decision to suspend Khoza came following a communication breakdown, and she would be facing a disciplinary hearing.

ADeC's spokesperson Feziwe Ndwayana at the time denied the suspension, saying those behind the call for Khoza to be suspended were not recognised as members of the party.

Khoza rose to prominence as a member of Parliament, serving on both the SABC inquiry as well as the ad hoc committee that elected a new Public Protector.

She was also vocal opponent of former president Jacob Zuma - which saw members of the portfolio committee she chaired demand she be removed prior to her resignation from the ANC. </s> The African Democratic Change (ADeC) “will survive"‚ even as it accepts founder Makhosi Khoza’s resignation‚ says the party’s new leader‚ Moses Mayekiso.

Former ANC MP Khoza founded ADeC in December. In her resignation letter published on Saturday‚ Khoza handed over the party leadership to Mayekiso.

Mayekiso said the party would not collapse without its most well-known member. “We will be fine.”

He said the party's national council had accepted “Khoza’s resignation and would support her endeavours moving forward”.

“Makhosi has left a legacy and we thank her for what she has left and we will survive.”

Mayekiso claimed the party had 30‚000 individual members as well as various civic organisations that were joining it. “This is an organisation based on people on the ground and its mission and vision.”

He said Khoza would remain an honorary member.

“We honoured her [on Saturday] for the opportunity she gave us by setting up the organisation. She is an honorary member of our movement. She is a life member. She is mentor.” </s> JOHANNESBURG - The African Democratic Change (ADeC) says its acknowledges the decision by Dr Makhosi Khoza to step down as the party leader, adding that they would like to thank her for providing what they call a political vehicle that advocates for change in South Africa.

In a statement released on Saturday afternoon, the four-month-old political party says it remains committed to the fulfillment of the founding principles that led to its establishment.

Spokesperson Sinakho Nqoma says despite Khoza's resignation, the party remains determined as ever.

“We respect and acknowledge her resignation from politics, we’re very grateful for her contribution as she has contributed highly to the vehicle which is ADeC for change. But the party as is still remains.”

Khoza mentioned that she will be leaving to devote her efforts to youth development.

Nqoma says that this is something she has always held close to her heart.

“She has made it known that those projects are a priority for her and that is what she has decided to take on fulltime.” </s> The African Democratic Change (ADeC) will survive‚ even as it accepts founder Makhosi Khoza’s resignation‚ its new leader‚ Moses Mayekiso, said.

Former ANC MP Khoza founded ADeC in December. In her resignation letter published on Saturday‚ she handed over the leadership to Mayekiso.

Mayekiso said the party would not collapse without its most well-known member.

He said the party’s national council had accepted Khoza’s resignation and would support her endeavours moving forward.

“Makhosi has left a legacy and we thank her for what she has left and we will survive.”

Mayekiso claimed the party had 30 000 individual members as well as various civic organisations that were joining it.

“We honoured her [on Saturday] for the opportunity she gave us by setting up the organisation.

“She is a life member. She is a mentor,” he said.

After more than 35 years in the ANC‚ Khoza urged members to vote against then president Jacob Zuma in a vote of no confidence. She was then fired from her parliamentary job by Zuma in August and resigned from the ANC in September.

She started ADeC using the ANC’s green‚ gold and black colours in her party’s logo.

The ANC accused of her of trying to trick voters into voting for her party by creating a logo and name that could be confused with the ANC on the ballot paper.

ADeC was rocked with infighting last month when two members‚ Lufuno Gogoro and Mpho Ramakatsa‚ were expelled.

The two also claimed they had suspended Khoza from her own party.

On Saturday, in her resignation letter she explained she wanted to work with her son‚ a computer programmer‚ to give African languages prestige and prosperity.

She said she had developed a Zulu mathematics dictionary. She also wanted to spend more time with her family. – TimesLIVE </s> Only five months after starting a new political party‚ African Democratic Change ( ADeC) leader Makhosi Khoza has resigned from politics.

The former ANC MP on Saturday announced her decision to leave the party she had started on Facebook.

“I thought I should make my announcement public about retirement from politics.

“As the leading founder of ADeC and its director of its Non-Profit Organisation (NPO)‚ I therefore resign from both structures and authorise the ADeC National Board under the chairmanship of Moses Mayekiso to liaise with the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) and the other directors of the non-profit organisations to fill the vacant position as a result of my resignation and stepping down from politics.”

The party was launched in December and was supposed to focus on the quality of Ubuntu and unemployment. “I don’t know of any other party that has ever unpacked the philosophy of Ubuntu‚" she said in December.

In March‚ members of ADeC called for her resignation as she didn’t recognise the party’s newly elected interim leadership.

She also expelled leaders Lufuno Gogoro and Mpho Ramakatsa which angered other members.

On Saturday‚ in her resignation letter she explained she wants to work with her son‚ a computer programmer‚ to give African languages "prestige" and "prosperity".

"One’s mother tongue is not just a communication tool but‚ the engine [of] one’s logic and intelligence.... It is a calamity of despicable proportions that a black African-led government claiming to be the liberator has dismally failed to position and develop black African languages as those of prestige and prosperity."

In an unclear statement she said she was working with Zulu and maths‚ and with her son who had developed an algorithm.

"Retiring from politics means I will work with all citizens irrespective of their political affiliations. As made explicitly clear‚ my mission is apolitical. It will therefore be an antithesis if I was to be associated with a particular political party."

She had been an outspoken member of the ANC - in 2017 asking members to join a vote of no confidence in Jacob Zuma.

She was fired from her parliamentary job by Zuma last August.

Read her full statement: https://www.facebook.com/makhosibusisiwe.khoza/posts/10211973135018893

- TimesLIVE </s> JOHANNESBURG - Former African National Congress (ANC) Member of Parliament and leader of newly-formed political party African Democratic Change (ADeC) Makhosi Khoza has announced that she will be retiring from politics.

Khoza caused a stir in the ANC last year when she was vocal about former president Jacob Zuma, calling for him to step down publicly on various occasions.

Following her departure from the ANC, Khoza formed ADeC but will be stepping down from her position as leader.

Khoza says she will be trying her hand in local governance, working with different parties to fight corruption within the sector.

She says a conversation she had with the late Winnie Madikizela-Mandela a few months ago about her political future sparked her change of heart.

“Her death made reflect honestly about where I could be more impactful in society and I have decided that I’m going to focus more on local government and administration.”

Khoza says languages in the education sector is also something she wants to focus on.

“I’d also focus on the innovation of black African languages, especially at they impact negatively on mathematics and science in South Africa.” </s> Founder of the African Democratic Change (ADeC) party and outspoken ex-ANC MP Makhosi Khoza has announced her retirement from politics.

In a letter published on Facebook addressing ADeC's leadership on Saturday, Khoza said she had taken a "well-thought through decision" to step down from politics in pursuit of her "bigger mission in life".

"I feel time has come for me to pursue... my bigger mission... beyond the confines of politics and political parties," Khoza wrote.

READ: Makhosi Khoza Says Her Party Will Win The Election Through Honesty And Morality

Writing that a "very promising potential opportunity has arisen" for the former parliamentarian and stern critic of the governing party, Khoza said she would turn her attention to local governance and administration, education and elevation of African languages.

In justifying her departure and shift to other work, Khoza decried the poor state of development of African languages and education, saying she wanted to contribute to their betterment. "It is a calamity of despicable proportions that a black African-led government claiming to be the liberator has dismally failed to position and develop black African languages as those of prestige and prosperity," she wrote.

Khoza said she had, in response to this context, created an isiZulu language mathematical logic series and dictionary 'UZALO' which she would table to Parliament's Portfolio Committee on Education and others. She and her son Mlando -- a computer programmer finalising an algorithm based on her work -- had decided to "join forces in the elevation of black languages," she added.

The ex-ANC MP stressed her work required her to be 'apolitical', hence her decision to step down from ADeC, a party she formed in December following her admonishment of, and departure from, the ANC.

In the interim, ADeC has appeared to flounder since its creation, and by March had reportedly been marred by infighting and expulsions, although Khoza denied these reports.

In her letter to ADeC on Saturday, Khoza said she wished the party well:

"I also hope that ADeC would continue with its Politics Unusual concept, its commitment to the total emancipation of women, loyalty to the South African citizens and ensuring that at all times it is grounded in moral and ethical leadership," she wrote.

Khoza in September broke down in tears as she announced she would resign from the ANC.

"I tried to serve with honour, and dignity, the best I could... I am joining the people who want to protect this country," she said at a media briefing in Rivonia.

"Standing here today, I tell you I am taking with me the good ANC I know...As I break my silence, against the deceit of the ANC, I do so in defence of all men, women who fought for this country...I want to make it unequivocally clear: I am not joining the Democratic Alliance."

She labelled the ruling party as an "alien and corrupt" organisation that did not value or respect intellectual women." </s> Lesotho's prime minister lost a no-confidence vote in parliament on Wednesday, deepening the political uncertainty in the mountain kingdom ahead of an election likely within three months.

Prime Minister Pakalitha Mosisili, of the Democratic Congress (DC) party, has headed a coalition government since a snap election in 2015 that was called in an effort to end Lesotho's prolonged power struggles.

But the coalition has recently fragmented, and parliament on Wednesday voted in favour of replacing Mosisili with Monyane Moleleki, whose Alliance of Democrats party split from the DC last year.

Completely landlocked by South Africa, Lesotho is one of the world's poorest countries and its economy is heavily dependent on its neighbour, to where it exports water and hydroelectric power.

South Africa and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) bloc have repeatedly called for peace and political reform in the country.

"The vote of no confidence motion to urge His Majesty King Letsie III to appoint Honourable Monyane Moleleki as the next prime minister has been carried," Speaker Ntlhoi Motsamai told lawmakers after the vote.

Mosisili now has three days to either resign in favour of Moleleki or advise the king to call elections, which would be held within three months.

But Mosisili's political advisor Fako Likoti said the premier would not step aside.

"He will continue to be the prime minister until we go for elections," Likoti told People's Choice FM radio.

Mosisili, who was also prime minister from 1998 to 2012, acknowledged to his supporters last weekend that he had lost lawmakers' support and that he expected an election.

A failed coup attempt in 2014 prompted the prime minister at the time, Thomas Thabane of the All Basotho Convention (ABC), to flee to South Africa, saying he feared for his life.

In 2014, army chief Tlali Kamoli was accused of launching a coup against Thabane when soldiers attacked police headquarters, looted weapons and killed one officer.

And a senior general who was seen as close to Thabane was gunned down by soldiers in June 2015.

But Thabane returned with two other opposition leaders last month vowing to win back power, and was greeted by thousands of supporters at a rally in the capital, Maseru.

Lesotho, a constitutional monarchy, was a British protectorate known as Basutoland before independence in 1966.
Makhosi Khoza, leader of South Africa's African Democratic Change party, resigns just five months after the party formed.