Johannesburg – Former minister Malusi Gigaba has been removed from Parliament’s Joint Standing Committee on Defence for a second time after the ANC reinstated the move that had previously been overturned by National Assembly Speaker Thoko Didiza.
According to News24, the ANC quietly removed Gigaba from the committee this week, weeks after Didiza ordered that he remain its co-chairperson because the initial removal had not followed the correct parliamentary procedure.
Gigaba was initially replaced by ANC MP Mzimasi Hala on 2 September.
EWN reported that the move triggered a dispute among committee members because the ANC had not provided reasons for Gigaba’s removal. Co-chairperson Phiroane Phala told members that Gigaba had been “relieved from his responsibilities”, while ANC MP Windy Plaatjies argued that the ANC did not owe the committee an explanation, calling it a “party matter.”
The dispute escalated after opposition MPs questioned whether a formal vacancy had been created. IOL reported that Didiza subsequently confirmed that her office had received no formal communication from the ANC about Gigaba’s change in membership status and had not received a resignation letter from him.
The latest development
She said the “purported change in the membership of Dr Gigaba without any formal communication is not procedurally correct.”
Didiza consequently instructed the committee to revert to the composition that existed before Gigaba’s removal pending the proper process.
The latest development follows a politically contentious period for Gigaba, who has stepped aside from ANC organisational responsibilities while facing corruption charges linked to the controversial Transnet locomotive procurement programme.
The state alleges Gigaba accepted undisclosed cash payments from members of the Gupta family while serving as public enterprises minister. Gigaba has denied wrongdoing and the allegations remain before the courts.
The DefenceWeb report on the earlier removal said the EFF had challenged Hala’s election, arguing there had been “no formal letter of withdrawal” or resignation from Gigaba and that the vacancy had not been formally announced.
The latest removal therefore brings the months-long dispute over Gigaba’s position on the defence oversight committee back into focus, following the earlier intervention by the Speaker.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
