Lindsay Dentlinger
Eyewitness News
CAPE TOWN - President Cyril Ramaphosa has appointed Transport Minister Blade Nzimande to act as Home Affairs minister until a permanent appointment is made.
Malusi Gigaba's resignation as Home Affairs Minister on Tuesday means he’s spared Ramaphosa from firing him.
Pressure has been mounting on the president in recent weeks to act against him.
Ramaphosa was given until Wednesday by the Public Protector to discipline Gigaba for lying under oath in a court case involving the Oppenheimer family.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) has also been granted a court date for the new year to challenge Ramaphosa's decision to retain Gigaba in his Cabinet.
The cards have been stacking against Gigaba for quite some time but in just a few weeks, the pressure was shifted to Ramaphosa to act.
Gigaba was found to have lied under oath in a court case involving a private aviation terminal belonging to the Oppenheimer family almost a year ago.
But it’s only after a complaint from the DA to the Public Protector that the president's hand has been forced.
Speaker Baleka Mbete has also been given until Wednesday to report Gigaba to Parliament’s ethics committee.
Gigaba’s resignation means Ramaphosa now also avoids having to challenge a court case brought by the DA against keeping him on as a minister.
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