Defend Xolani Khoza!

Everyone in the cross-hairs of the neoliberal ANC-DA government has an urgent interest in mobilising now to defend EFF militant Xolani Gregory Khoza. Khoza is currently facing charges of incitement to commit terrorism, public violence and intimidation. His “crime” Posting a TikTok video calling for a shutdown to protest the so-called “Government of National Unity”. His persecution is a blatant assault on freedom of speech which threatens to brand all who would resist the attacks of the GNU as “terrorists”. We must fight this. What’s needed is widespread protest, including at the court on 2 September, demanding: Drop all charges against Xolani Khoza, now!

We must not let our political differences stand in the way of a united struggle to defend Xolani. From trade unionists, land rights activists and civic organisations, to radical nationalists and socialists, this is an attack on all of us. To see how this pro-imperialist government is going to crack down on dissent, just look at the killing of EFF councillor Moshe Mphahlele by cops and security guards repressing a service delivery protest on 4 August in Alex. We need to act now. Don’t let them silence Xolani, or they will come for all of us next!

Khoza was charged under the apartheid-era Riotous Assemblies Act of 1965 and the Cybercrimes Act of 2020. While he was released on bail until his next hearing on 2 September, the conditions include muzzling him with a ban on posting or communicating on social media. This just shows that despite the bourgeois media hype, the white rulers know very well that neo-apartheid South Africa is a tinderbox and the guise of “national unity” is extremely fragile. Behind the persecution of Xolani is the ruling class’s fear that mass struggle, particularly by the black proletariat, can challenge the GNU’s pro-imperialist agenda. Defending him is an urgent and necessary first step in the fight to organise a broad struggle to defend the working class and all oppressed against the GNU onslaught. Defend Xolani Khoza!