Presidency corrects malicious rumours about SAA, National Treasury and Ministerial deployments
12 December 2015
The Presidency wishes to correct malicious rumours that have been circulating and which have been published by some media houses in relation to Ministerial deployments and the South African Airways Board chairperson Ms Dudu Myeni.
Rumour: Minister Gigaba did not finish his term as Minister of Public Enterprises at the request of the SAA Board Chair
A rumour has been circulated, and has also been published by some media products, that Mr Malusi Gigaba, now Minister of Home Affairs, was “removed’’ from his position a Minister of Public Enterprises due to an apparent fallout with Ms Myeni, and at her request to the President.
This is not true. Mr Gigaba served his full term as Minister of Public Enterprises until the elections in May 2014. All terms of office automatically lapse after elections. A newly-elected President appoints a brand new Cabinet immediately after being sworn in. The new President is under no obligation to re-appoint persons who had served before and there is also no requirement that he should re-appoint people to portfolios they had held before, should he or she decide to include them in his or her new Cabinet. In line with this principle, Mr Gigaba was appointed as Minister of Home Affairs in the fifth administration.