South Africa Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba whose homemade pornography video was leaked online has resigned from his post “to relieve President [Cyril Ramaphos] from undue pressure”.
President Cyril Ramaphosa was under mounting pressure to fire the disgraced Minister.
“President Cyril Ramaphosa has today, Tuesday 13 November 2018, received a letter of resignation from the Minister of Home Affairs, Mr Malusi Knowledge Nkanyezi Gigaba.
“The President has accepted the Minister’s resignation and expressed his appreciation for Minister’s Gigaba longstanding service to the government and people of South Africa” read the letter issued by President Ramaphosa’s office.
However, his resignation is not connected to the porn video.
Rather, he has resigned after South Africa’s Supreme Court of Appeal and the Constitutional Court upheld an earlier finding that he lied to the country’s High Court in the Fireblade saga in which he allegedly approved the operation of a privately-owned air traffic terminal owned by the Oppenheimer family.
In February, the South African High Court found that Gigaba committed perjury when he denied authorising a company owned by the billionaire Oppenheimer family to operate a private immigration terminal at Johannesburg’s main airport.
Two higher courts upheld the ruling, and last month, Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane, also released a report on the matter, with its remedial action directing President Cyril Ramaphosa to discipline Gigaba for perjuring himself and violating the Constitution as a member of the executive.
In the statement, it is claimed that Gigaba resigned in order “to relieve the President from undue pressure”.
He called it quits a few hours before the deadline given to the President by Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane to act against Gigaba allegedly having lied to the courts.
Meanwhile, South Africa’s opposition, the Democratic Alliance said it will pursue charges of perjury against Gigaba. On its part, Julius Malema’s EFF slammed Gigaba as corrupt, unpatriotic and dishonourable.
“We have already laid criminal charges of perjury against Mr Gigaba and will pursue those charges to ensure justice is served,” said DA chief whip John Steenhuisen, saying DA believes the resignation does not recuse Gigaba of his wrongdoing.
Gigaba, a 47-year-old former head of the ANC’s youth wing, denies any wrongdoing but claims that there was a campaign aimed at blocking him from his presidential ambitions.
Update
A report by News24 says Malusi Gigaba has also resigned as a Member of Parliament, saying it was his honour and privilege to serve as a MP for the African National Congress.
The Office of the Speaker and ANC Chief Whip Jackson Mthembu confirmed Gigaba’s resignation on Thursday, effective from Tuesday, November 13.
“It was indeed my honour and privilege to have been of service to our people in this High Office,” Gigaba said in his resignation letter.
“I am also grateful that my organisation afforded me this honour.”
