Staff ReporterSouth Africa Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba resigned from his post following mounting pressure for President Cyril Ramaphosa to give him the boot.
“The President has accepted the Minister’s resignation and expressed his appreciation for Minister’s Gigaba longstanding service to the government and people of South Africa,” the Presidency said in a statement on Tuesday.
Transport Minister Blade Nzimande will take over as the acting home affairs minister.
Gigaba has been under fire in recent weeks after the Supreme Court of Appeal and the Constitutional Court upheld an earlier finding that he lied to the High Court in the Fireblade saga. The public protector also recommended that Ramaphosa take action against him in terms of the Executive Members’ Ethics Act.
Besides Gigaba’s political travails, he was also embarrassed after a video leaked which showed him in a sexual act.
It was reported over the weekend that Gigaba met with Ramaphosa last week in an attempt to smooth over the fallout of the court judgments. He allegedly told the president that he never lied and that his full account of events were never taken into consideration.
Transport Minister Blade Nzimande will act as Minister of Home Affairs until a permanent appointment is made.
