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Makoti Khawula

Makoti Khawula
MP
A woman seated at a table and behind a microphone, wearing a red beret and red polo shirt
Khawula in 2024
Member of the National Assembly of South Africa
Incumbent
Assumed office
21 May 2014
ConstituencyKwaZulu-Natal
Personal details
Born
Makoti Sibongile Khawula[1]

(1954-12-07) 7 December 1954 (age 70)
Durban, Natal Province, South Africa
Political partyEconomic Freedom Fighters (2013–present)
Other political
affiliations		African National Congress (1980–2013)
ResidenceInanda, KwaZulu-Natal
Alma materDurban University of Technology
OccupationMember of Parliament
ProfessionPolitician

Makoti Sibongile Khawula (born 7 December 1954) is a South African politician and previous anti-apartheid activist from KwaZulu-Natal serving as a Member of the National Assembly of South Africa for the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) party since 2014. Khawula is known for her insistence on speaking Zulu in Parliament.[2][3]

Early life and education

Khawula was born on 7 December 1954 in Durban in the former Natal Province. She only fulfilled grade 8 while attending school. She later completed a certificate in surveying from the Durban University of Technology and a Doctors For Life course in Home Based Care.[1]

Political career

Political activism

Khawula joined the African National Congress (ANC) and participated in anti-apartheid activities in the Durban communities of Inanda and KwaMashu in the 1980s.[4] She became an organiser for the ANC in 1990. Within the ANC, she was a member of the party's Women's League, a provincial election organiser in 1994 and a development activist for the party. She became a member of the party's Regional Executive Committee in 2013. She was also the chairperson of both the South African Communist Party (SACP) and South African National Civic Organisation (SANCO) in ward 54 of the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality.[1] She left the ANC in 2013 and joined the newly-formed EFF in the same year.[4]

Parliamentary career

Khawula became a Member of Parliament on 21 May 2014 following the 2014 general elections. She was assigned to serve on the Portfolio Committee on Water and Sanitation and the Portfolio Committee on Women in the Presidency.[3]

She soon became known for her insistence on speaking isiZulu and isiXhosa when delivering speeches or asking oratory questions. She insists that she will speak the language of her constituency.[3] In February 2016, Khawula requested that the National Council of Provinces Chairperson Thandi Modise address her in isiZulu, as she does not understand English.[5]

She was re-elected to a second term in the 2019 general elections and re-elected for a third term in the 2024 general elections.[6]

Personal life

In the Register of Members' Interests for 2014, Khawula declared that she received social grants for two foster children.[7] These were not part of the 2015 register.[3]

References

  1. ^ a b c "Ms Makoti Sibongile Khawula - Parliament of South Africa". parliament.gov.za. Archived from the original on 23 May 2020. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
  2. ^ Zulu, Makhosandile (30 August 2018). "EFF MP maKhawula calls Mabuza a liar". The Citizen. Retrieved 10 April 2020. Khawula is known for speaking IsiZulu in parliament and on social media platforms has gained popularity for providing a degree of entertainment during sessions in the house.
  3. ^ a b c d Evans, Jenni (22 December 2015). "Meet the EFF MP who refuses to speak English in Parliament". News24. Cape Town. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
  4. ^ a b "Ms Makoti Sibongile Khawula (EFF) - Interview". People's Assembly. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
  5. ^ Raborife, Mpho; Shange, Naledi (11 February 2016). "EFF's Khawula demands to be addressed in Zulu". News24. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
  6. ^ "The 400 MPs elected to the National Assembly - IEC - DOCUMENTS | Politicsweb". www.politicsweb.co.za. Retrieved 1 December 2024.
  7. ^ Davis, Rebecca (19 September 2014). "MPs' financial interests revealed: Some cats are fatter than others". The Daily Maverick. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
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