COSATU calls on President C Ramaphosa to fire Minister Gigaba who has become a liability and an embarrassment to both government and the ANC

The Congress of South African Trade Unions has noted Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane’s report that says that Minister Malusi Gigaba not only violated the executive ethics code, but also the Constitution for lying under oath. The federation calls on President Cyril Ramaphosa to do the right and fire Minister Gigaba. He has become a liability and an embarrassment to both government and the ANC.

The African National Congress has an image and credibility problem and if it is to rehabilitate its image in the eyes of South Africans it needs to be decisive in dealing with people of disreputable character.President Cyril Ramaphosa needs to ensure that his cabinet is full of properly adjusted people, who understand that they are not there to serve themselves and their friends but serve the nation. He cannot afford to continue to incubate people who are contemptuous of the rule of law.

Some of the members of the cabinet are not only corrupt,but they are immensely incompetent and inexperienced, and they make a mess of everything. The president cannot continue to become a reactive fire brigade force that put fires from his ministers. He needs to act against all the implicated ministers in his cabinet like Minister Nomvula Mokonyane and Minister Bathabile Dlamini and others so that he is not defocused by their scandals.

Issued by Sizwe Pamla, National Spokesperson, COSATU, 31 October 2018