Gigaba: I am being discredited

ANC chief whip Jackson Mthembu says parliamentary committees will continue to do their oversight on ministers and government departments “without any fear or favour”.

Mthembu made the comments after embattled home affairs minister Malusi Gigaba claimed that the portfolio committees on home affairs & public enterprises were part of a political campaign to discredit him.

Speaking to journalists following a special caucus meeting‚ Mthembu said while the issue of Gigaba had not been discussed at their gathering on Tuesday‚ parliamentary structures were not part of any political agenda.

Gigaba has recently been under pressure in parliament as the home affairs committee continues to ask him tough questions about his role in allowing the wealthy Oppenheimer family to operate a private landing terminal at O R Tambo International Airport.

A draft report by the public enterprises committee on the Eskom inquiry has also recommended that Gigaba should be among 44 people who should be criminally investigated for corruption at Eskom.

Mthembu said if Gigaba had any evidence of anyone using parliamentary committees to tarnish his name‚ he should have reported the matter to him.

“The committees of parliament are not part of any plot. We want to make that clear. We do our work without any fear or favour‚” said Mthembu.

We want to make that clear. We do our work without any fear or favour