Gigaba says he's stepping back from party roles out of respect for the ANC’s constitution

African National Congress (ANC) Member of Parliament (MP) and former minister Malusi Gigaba insisted that he’s not guilty of the corruption charge he’s facing and said that stepping back from his party roles is out of respect for the ANC’s constitution and the party’s resolutions.

The ANC announced on Wednesday night that he was invoking the party’s step-aside rule voluntarily – a day after appearing in court in a Transnet procurement matter at the time when he was the minister of public enterprises.

ALSO READ: Gigaba 'shocked' over timing of corruption charges he's facing

In his own statement, Gigaba said that he will address all the charges against him in court when the time comes.

This is not the first time Gigaba has found himself embroiled in ascandal that impacts his role as a politician.

In 2018, he resigned from his last ministerial role at Home Affairs and as a parliamentarian after a barrage of state capture allegations during inquiries in Parliament.

This time around, Gigaba said that he had discussions with ANC leaders over the weekend, informing them of his intentions to step aside, seemingly already aware that he would be expected to appear in court on Tuesday.

He said to date, he’s not been served an indictment containing charges related to procurement allegations nor any supporting evidence of wrongdoing.

Gigaba has been charged with receiving an undeserved benefit.

He said as soon as the legal processes are concluded, he stands ready to return to his party role as a National Executive Committee (NEC) member.

Gigaba is yet to clarify his parliamentary status, where he holds the role of committee chairperson, saying the step-aside rule applies to party positions only and parliamentary processes are handled separately.

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