Gigaba says tape of ‘sexual nature’ used to blackmail him

Home affairs minister Malusi Gigaba revealed on Sunday that a video of a sexual nature was stolen when his phone got hacked during 2016 and 2017 and that the video was circulating among certain political figures.

In a series of tweets on Sunday morning‚ Gigaba said the video had been at the centre of blackmail and extortion attempts‚ dating back to the period following his appointment as finance minister in March last year.

He said he had steadfastly refused to entertain the blackmail attempts.

Gigaba said these blackmail and extortion attempts as well as the illegal interception of his communication had been reported to relevant law enforcement authorities. He said he had been advised that the investigations were continuing.

“I take this opportunity to publicly apologise in advance to the rest of my family - especially my kids‚ my mom and my in-laws - and the South African public for the pain and embarrassment the likely wider distribution will cause‚” Gigaba said.

Gigaba said he hoped the nation will one day engage with the question whether it is correct to condone and promote the gross invasion of the privacy of others by distributing such material‚ especially in the clear absence of a public interest justification.

Gigaba’s spokesman on this matter‚ Vuyo Mkhize‚ told eNCA that the video did not involve Gigaba’s wife‚ Norma.

Mkhize said it was a video that was meant to be transmitted to her.