Gigaba’s woes keep on multiplying

Embattled Home Affairs minister to face more parliamentary grilling over Fireblade and protector’s findings

THE political woes of Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba continued to deepen this week with the minister to face more questions in Parliament over the damning court judgment on the Fireblade Aviation saga and the findings of the public protector.

Chairperson of the portfolio committee on home affairs Hlomani Chauke yesterday also confirmed that other than the two matters for which Gigaba has to answer to Parliament, he still faces the findings into the naturalisation of the Guptas.

Chauke said the committee would release its findings in the next few weeks after one last witness has appeared before them.

The Parliament committee will also next week grill Gigaba over his version against the judgment of the Constitutional Court and the findings of the public protector.

This is not the first time the embattled minister has been probed. The committee has been investigating Gigaba for several months over the naturalisation of the Guptas and the latest two scandals have added to his woes.

Chauke refused to comment on what would happen to Gigaba but President Cyril Ramaphosa is under pressure to fire him.

Chauke said when Gigaba was summoned to Parliament last month, he assured them there was no permit issued for Fireblade Aviation to operate a terminal at OR Tambo International Airport.

Now that the Constitutional Court and the public protector have found him wanting, Chauke said Gigaba had to explain himself. He said what Gigaba told MPs contradicted the findings of the Concourt and public protector advocate Busisiwe Mkhwebane .

Chauke said they would also deal with the findings on the naturalisation of the Guptas later this month or early next month, then issue a report with these.

However, when Gigaba previously appeared before the committee on the matter he was accused of lying by MPs, and not being truthful about the naturalisation of the Guptas.

Officials from his department also came under fire for their role.

The Home Affairs committee is not the only parliamentary one dealing with Gigaba. The ethics committee, co-chaired by Omie Singh, will also investigate him.

However, no date has been set for his hearing with the ethics committee, which is waiting for the presiding officers of Parliament to formally refer the complaint to them.

The DA, meanwhile, yesterday continued to put pressure on Ramaphosa to fire ministers implicated in wrongdoing.

Civil society groups have also been calling on the president to fire Gigaba.

| African News Agency (ANA)