'Malusi Gigaba has done the honourable thing'

Minister of Home Affairs Malusi Gigaba in Parliament to answer about the Fireblade Aviation claims. Photographer: Phando Jikelo/African News Agency(ANA)

Minister of Home Affairs Malusi Gigaba in Parliament to answer about the Fireblade Aviation claims. Photographer: Phando Jikelo/African News Agency(ANA)

Published Nov 13, 2018

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Cape Town - Opposition parties have welcomed the news that embattled Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba has resigned.

IFP MP Narend Singh said: "He's done the honourable thing by resigning.  I'm told the president also brought pressure to bear on him because if he didn't do that I don't think Gigaba would have resigned. Just last week, he said he would not resign."

Democratic Alliance leader Mmusi Maimane said: "I think that we should never forget is that this is a minister that did profound damage to state-owned enterprises, to our tourism industry...he certainly damaged our economy and then the Fireblade decision at the end of it demonstrated without doubt that this is an individual that can't be trusted, that would lie to a court..."

The presidency confirmed on Tuesday that Gigaba had stepped down. "Yes, he has resigned, effective tomorrow [Wednesday]," President Cyril Ramaphosa's spokeswoman Khusela Diko told the African News Agency (ANA).

According to Diko, Gigaba did not give reasons for quitting in his resignation letter.

Gigaba has been in the news of late for being the subject of a leaked sex tape which he said was meant for his wife. The footage went viral and has been aired on porn sites. 

The minister has also been criticised for his role in granting citizenship to members of the controversial Gupta family who are at the centre of state capture allegations.

African News Agency (ANA)

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