ANC MP Makhosi Khoza says she will not speak at public events until her safety can be guaranteed.
Her announcement on social media follows the disruption of a Young Communists League event in Inanda, north of Durban, on Sunday, where she was due to speak.
The YCL says it told her not to come, as there was a tense standoff between ANC and SACP members, and police had their hands full keeping the two groups separate.
Dozens of people wearing ANC colours, who had been bussed in, sang songs denouncing her and praising President Jacob Zuma.
The event was a lecture in honour of the late struggle stalwart Oliver Tambo.
Khoza has called for President Jacob Zuma to step down, and favours a secret ballot in the vote of no confidence in him set for August 8.
She has received death threats and the ANC Youth League in KwaZulu-Natal has threatened to disrupt public events where she is due to speak. It has also threatened to picket outside her home, west of Durban.
Last week Khoza was charged by the ANC in KwaZulu-Natal with several charges of ill-discipline and defying the organisation.
She has declined a SAPS offer of 24-hour protection after a threat assessment found she was in danger of being attacked by her detractors.
YCL deputy secretary Isaac Luthuli said of Sunday’s disruption: "When we engaged some of the comrades who came to disrupt our event they told us that they had been sent by the ANC region in eThekwini to disrupt our event because we had invited Khoza to speak. We will be taking up this matter with the relevant structures."
The ANC’s eThekwini region denies it sent its members to disrupt the event.
"We condemn these actions with the contempt they deserve. But we want to state categorically clear that we did not send anyone to disrupt a meeting. We will investigate this matter and if those people who disrupted the Sunday event are our members, we will take strong action against them," said Bheki Ntuli, the ANC’s eThekwini regional secretary.
The event has heightened tension between ANC and the SACP in KwaZulu-Natal. Last year several members of both parties died in several clashes in Inchanga, west of Durban.
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