Gigaba knows likely measures he will face
EMBATTLED Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba has an idea of what action President Cyril Ramaphosa will take against him by Wednesday and is not distracted from campaigning for the ANC and doing government duties, said his spokesperson, Vuyo Mkhize.
Gigaba and Ramaphosa reportedly held a private meeting on Friday to discuss the implementation of Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane’s recommendation.
Asked if Gigaba was worried about Ramaphosa’s pending decision, Mkhize said Gigaba was preoccupied with ANC duties.
“Gigaba spent the whole of yesterday (Saturday) conducting doorto-door visits in Ntabankulu (Eastern Cape), and today he is having a private political meeting.
“He has (a) full ANC programme and full programme of Home Affairs,” said Mkhize.
Mkhwebane last month recommended that Ramaphosa should, within 20 days, take disciplinary action against Gigaba for lying under oath, which is in violation of the Constitution and the Executive Ethics Code.
The court had ruled that Gigaba lied when he denied that he had not authorised the use of Fireblade at the OR Tambo International Airport as a private VVIP terminal by the wealthy Oppenheimer family.
Mkhwebane recently told Independent Media that she did not have the authority to recommend that Ramaphosa fire Gigaba.
“I only said the president should take disciplinary actions, and it is up to the president to decide what disciplinary action he takes.
“I cannot impose what action to take,” said Mkhwebane.
Mkhize said Gigaba could divulge what happened at his meeting with Ramaphosa.
“But he cannot talk about it because his engagements with his boss are private and confidential, and their (engagement) decorum is that if anything is going to be communicated it would be exclusively the decision of the senior (president).
“He cannot talk about what Ramaphosa thinks, and what is expected of him,” said Mkhize.
Ramaphosa’s spokesperson Khusela Diko could not be reached for comment.
ANC spokesperson Pule Mabe said he was unaware whether the ANC’s top six had agreement on Gigaba “as you know that I’m not part of the top six”.
“The appointment of the ministers is the prerogative of the president,” he said.
Mabe said the party’s national working committee would not discuss the Gigaba matter when it met today.
“We’ve never done it before. The things that you are asking about are mostly things that are before Parliament, which has all the powers and authority to deal and process those matters,” said Mabe.