In wake of corruption charge, ANC MP Gigaba steps aside from all party duties

African National Congress (ANC) parliamentarian and former minister, Malusi Gigaba, is giving up his party-political roles after appearing in the dock on Tuesday on corruption charges.

Gigaba’s voluntarily stepped aside from party activity, which includes his duties as a national executive committee (NEC) member.

However, Gigaba has not clarified how the step-aside decision will affect his parliamentary roles or his position as MP, saying that the step-aside rule applies to ANC roles only.

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

In a statement from the ANC, the party said Gigaba had taken a principled decision to step aside from his responsibilities without being prompted to do so in the wake of a corruption case involvingTransnet tenders.

On Tuesday, Gigaba appeared alongside two other MPs, who were former executives at the freight agency when he was the minister of public enterprises, for allegedly receiving kickbacks on locomotive deals.

The party said its step-aside rule was not a presumption of guilt but rather it is intended to afeguard public confidence during a legal process.

This is not the first time Gigaba has relinquished his political roles amid scandal.

He resigned as minister and MP in 2018 after a series of allegations related to state capture and a court ruling that he had lied under oath.

Gigaba had remained out of the public eye until his return to Parliament last year.

In a statement posted to his social media, Gigaba does not clarify whether he will step down from his role as one of two chairpersons of Parliament’s joint standing committee on defence.

He said parliamentary processes follow their own rules and would be managed accordingly.