Gigaba not fit for office

The Afrikaans idiom “benoude katte maak benoude spronge” is not adequately translated into English as “fortune favours the brave”. The state of panic essential to the actions of the proverbial cat is, however, brought to mind by the latest concoction dished up on behalf of beleaguered Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba.

A lateral-thinking legal mind has, somewhat belatedly for the appeal against an unsuccessful appeal stage of the proceedings, come up with the notion that it was illegal and unconstitutional for the minister to give the Oppenheimers permission to establish a VVIP (very, very important person) terminal at OR Tambo International Airport.

Quite apart from the fact that this line of defence was not raised by any party, or indeed by any court, at any earlier stage in the matter, at its root is the tacit admission that Gigaba is so incompetent as not to know when he is breaking the law and violating the Constitution. This leaves the president with the choice of having either a mendacious or an incompetent colleague.

The only way forward for the president is to relieve Gigaba of his post, as neither those proven to be mendacious nor those who are, by their own admission, incompetent, should grace his Cabinet.

Paul Hoffman, SC Director, Accountability Now