Is Gigaba making a comeback? Former minister raises his hand to be next ANC secretary-general

Former home affairs and public enterprises minister Malusi Gigaba is reportedly the latest ANC member to raise his hand to be secretary-general (SG) ahead of the party’s 55th elective conference in December.

Speaking to IOL this week, Gigaba said he was the right man for the job and has “the pedigree of the SG”.

According to the former minister, the secretary-general should be someone with “the ear of the party president”, and it will help if the two have a strong rapport.

“First and foremost, the ANC needs an SG who is going to be there. One of the things that has been lacking, among the weaknesses of the movement in the past five years, is the SG only served half the term. For the rest of the term, the SG has been on step-aside and was not available, which created a dilemma for head office,” said Gigaba.

Secretary-general Ace Magashule is suspended amid charges of fraud and corruption.

“I’ve been in the national executive committee for 26 years. That gives you insight into the movement. I’ve served under four presidents and an equal number of secretary-generals. That has given me insight into how the organisation is run. One is able to draw lessons from the preceding secretary-generals,” he said.

Gigaba joins a growing list of members who have been tipped to occupy the position, including ANC general manager Fébé Potgieter, transport minister Fikile Mbalula, water and sanitation minister Senzo Mchunu and former Gauteng health MEC Gwen Ramokgopa.

On Thursday, the corrected state capture inquiry report recommended law-enforcement agencies investigate Gigaba with a view to charging him with corruption based on allegations made by his estranged wife Nomachule Mngoma.

Mngoma testified before the inquiry last year, implicating Gigaba in state capture. Gigaba denied the allegations when he appeared before the inquiry.

In the corrected report, the commission recommended law enforcement agencies conduct investigations with a view to possibly prosecute Gigaba on charges of corruption in relation to cash payments allegedly received by him during visits to the Gupta residence in Saxonwold in 2013.

It also recommended an investigation, with a view to possibly prosecute him on a charge of corruption and/or racketeering, to determine whether the Guptas gave him cash used to pay for his wedding, and whether the Guptas paid for the trip he took with his wife to Dubai in 2014 or 2015.

Gigaba, reacting to the release of the second part of report, said inquiry chair Raymond Zondo hoped to “kill” him politically. Taking to Twitter, Gigaba claimed three years and R1bn later, Zondo had found no evidence to warrant a recommendation that he be charged with corruption.

“Instead of clearing me, he asks that I be investigated more in the hope this will kill me politically. If only he and his handlers knew,” said Gigaba.

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