ANC MP Makhosi Khoza has slammed Police Minister Fikile Mbalula for finally condemning the death threats against her -- but only after himself "fuelling them".
In an open letter on Facebook, Mbalula responded to both Parliament and police saying they would offer her extra security.
Mbalula said law enforcement agents were taking the threats seriously and he had ordered a team to track down those behind the series of threatening text messages sent to Khoza last week giving her 21 days to live, reported iol.
In the letter, she said: "The Minister himself [Mbalula] fueled the threats. He also joined those who wanted to eliminate me and have me dismissed or expelled from the ANC for choosing to uphold not just the RSA Constitution but that of the ANC.
"Instead of receiving assurance for protection the Minister of Police referred ANC MPs like myself suicide bombers and threatened them with expulsion should they vote in favour of a no confidence vote on the President. To me this explained why the death threats on my life and family were never taken seriously by the SAPS."
She added: "SAPS and Parliament failed to provide my protection. Instead the ANC Chief Whip's office accused me of extreme-ill discipline. After challenging your reckless statement at the ANC Policy Conference, 2017.
Khoza said she "never imagined that the ANC would reach this level of paralysis and contamination."
Parliamentary spokesman Moloto Mothapo said the decision to provide protection followed a security assessment that confirmed "a security threat existed" against Khoza.
Ms Khoza has been a prominent critic of President Jacob Zuma and corruption within the governing ANC and on Tuesday called on him to step down.
Despite losing faith in the ANC and despite getting death threats, Khoza said she will not to die in silence.
Here is the letter on Facebook:
Khoza, who has publicly denounced corruption and what she terms the "politics of patronage" in the ranks of the ANC and has been outspoken in favour of a secret ballot in the vote of no confidence in President Jacob Zuma, has recently been targeted by aggressors who have threatened her life and the life of her family. There have been calls within the ANC for disciplinary action to be taken against her.
She told HuffPost SA earlier in July that while "I fear for my safety, I cannot just keep quiet".
Khoza said: "I respect the mandate and it is my duty to uphold the ANC constitution. Is the ANC a field of hyenas? Which rule have I broken?"
Khoza at the time said the ANC was not able to stand up for what is right, which was why she needed to stand up.
"I am speaking out because I am tired. It is a repeating cycle of inconsistency," she said.