Ramaphosa’s ‘deal’ with Gigaba and how he will return

As former home affairs minister Malusi Gigaba vacates his seat as ANC MP, expect him to emerge later at the top in a senior managerial post – and even a political position.

A source with intimate knowledge of the situation said Gigaba has not gone completely: he would emerge later in another high-profile posting after a settlement he reached with President Cyril Ramaphosa, which included a promise to “go quietly”.

Through the deal, Ramaphosa wants to prevent an angry and vengeful Gigaba drifting to the faction loyal to former president Jacob Zuma, the source said.

Likely scenarios include a posting to a state institution, such as a national or provincial department, or one of the state-owned enterprises. But his name is also likely to be put high up on one of the ANC parliamentary lists, a precursor for a national or provincial political deployment.

“He will be coming back after 2019 elections. All this was a carefully calculated step by Ramaphosa. Gigaba left quietly without making any comment because there is a senior managerial or political position awaiting him,” the source said.

Gigaba also agreed to leave quietly without making any damaging statement about the ANC and the government.

Indeed, he showed no antagonism in his resignation message, saying he wanted to relieve the president from “undue pressure” and he resigned in the interest of the country and the ANC.

According to the source, Ramaphosa, instead of firing Gigaba, asked him to do what former finance minister Nhlanhla Nene did and resign of his own volition to avoid the embarrassment of dismissal.

Gigaba agreed after he was offered a redeployment lifeline that he could not refuse.

During his negotiation with the president about his future, Gigaba argued strongly that he had done nothing wrong with regards to the Fireblade Aviation issue, which was central to his political demise.

But Ramaphosa, who was under pressure to axe Gigaba following a call on him to take disciplinary action from Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane, could not afford to keep him in his Cabinet.

Mkhwebane found Gigaba had breached the Executive Code of Ethics and the Constitution by lying under oath on Fireblade.

According to the source, Ramaphosa did not want to be seen behaving like his predecessor, Zuma, and undermine the public protector’s recommendation.

Gigaba was found by the High Court in Pretoria to have deliberately lied under oath about the Fireblade Aviation application to operate a private terminal at OR Tambo International Airport. He denied that he granted the application. But he lost an appeal at the Constitutional Court.

ANC chief whip Jackson Mthembu commended Gigaba for stepping down in the interest of the party: “We appreciate the fact that Gigaba has put the interests of the ANC and the country first. This is what we expect from any cadre of our glorious movement of which Gigaba has remained true to.”

Gigaba became an ANC MP in 1999, and served in the portfolio committees on trade and industry, as an alternate member of the agriculture and land affairs committee. He also served on the monitoring committee on Quality of Life and Status of Children, Youth and Disabled Persons.

Among the executive positions he held under former president Thabo Mbeki was serving as deputy minister of home affairs before he was elevated by Zuma to minister of public enterprises and later of finance. He briefly held onto the finance portfolio under Ramaphosa, who later moved him back to home affairs.

Gigaba was succeeded in the top ANC Youth League position by Fikile Mbalula.

In some circles Gigaba and Mbalula were seen as potential future ANC presidents.

– ericn@citizen.co.za

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