It was my honour and privilege - Gigaba resigns as MP
15 November 2018
Malusi Gigaba has resigned as a Member of Parliament, saying it was his honour and privilege to serve as a MP for the African National Congress.
The Office of the Speaker and ANC Chief Whip Jackson Mthembu confirmed Gigaba's resignation on Thursday, effective from Tuesday, November 13.
"It was indeed my honour and privilege to have been of service to our people in this High Office," Gigaba said in his resignation letter.
"I am also grateful that my organisation afforded me this honour."
Gigaba also resigned as a Cabinet minister on Tuesday amid a series of reputational knocks to his public image, ranging from a leaked sex tape and being found to have breached the executive ethics code by lying under oath.
The tainted former home affairs minister issued a statement on Tuesday evening about his resignation as a Cabinet minister.
"I did so after a long period of sustained and vitriolic public attacks on my integrity. I wish to state that my resignation is not an admission of guilt on my part," Gigaba said.
He said that the integrity of government and the ANC were more important than him being in political office.
Mthembu thanked Gigaba for his service to the people of South Africa and the African National Congress.
"We appreciate the fact that comrade Gigaba has put the interests of the ANC and that of the country first, which has informed his line of action. This is what we expect from any cadre of our glorious movement, of which comrade Gigaba has remained true to," Mthembu said.
He wished Gigaba well in his future endeavours.
Earlier on Thursday morning, the speaker's office said it received a letter from President Cyril Ramaphosa relating to the Public Protector's report into whether Gigaba violated the executive ethics code.
National Assembly Speaker Baleka Mbete referred both the letter and the Public Protector's report to the Joint Committee on Ethics and Members’ Interests for probing.
These processes however look like they will fall away in light of Gigaba's resignation as an MP.
