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Committee merely doing oversight, Chauke assures Gigaba

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The chairperson of Parliament’s Home Affairs committee, Hlomani Chauke, has assured the Home Affairs Minister that they do not have an alternative agenda by having him appear before them.

The committee has called Malusi Gigaba to clarify the department’s view on granting permission for the operation of a private terminal Fireblade Aviation at OR Tambo International Airport.

The invite to Gigaba also followed a Public Protector report last week that Gigaba had lied under oath, as well as the Constitutional Court ruling dismissing the Minister’s leave to appeal the lower court’s ruling on the matter.

Chauke says the committee is merely doing oversight.

“I want to rest you assure, Minister, the committee doesn’t have any other intention than oversight. Nothing else. Nothing about a plot or wanting to harass or challenge minister in any form, want accountability.

No further explanation  on Fireblade 

Parliament’s Home Affairs Committee has sent Minister Malusi Gigaba home without hearing his explanation on the Fireblade Aviation saga despite being summoned by MPs.

Gigaba was supposed to explain the agreement reached between the department and the Oppenheimer owned Fireblade Aviation terminal at OR Tambo International Airport.

In a committee meeting last week, the owners of the Fireblade Aviation terminal, the Oppenheimers told MPs that Gigaba did in fact grant them approval to operate in 2016.

Gigaba has denied this. But the court found that Gigaba had lied under oath when he denied granting the approval.

Last week Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane, echoed the court ruling and her remedial action is that Gigaba should be disciplined by President Cyril Ramaphosa.

These two rulings seemingly left MPs confused over whether they could talk to Gigaba about these issues.

Without reaching a conclusion, the committee broke for supper.  When it reconvened Gigaba tried to explain himself, he was asked to go home.

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