Legal expert, Advocate Paul Hoffman, says the only appropriate action that President Cyril Ramaphosa should take is to terminate Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba‘s cabinet membership.

Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane has revealed that Gigaba lied under oath about the wealthy Oppenheimer family’s attempt to open a private airport immigration facility at Johannesburg’s OR Tambo International Airport in 2016.

Former chairperson of diamond company, De Beers – Nicky Oppenheimer – told a parliamentary committee this week that Gigaba had initially approved his family’s plan to open the private terminal. Mkhwebane has directed Ramaphosa to discipline Gigaba, and to inform her of the action he would take within 20 days.

Hoffman says Gigaba should also consider resigning.

“He has so many other problems at the moment. His relationship with the Guptas, which is really at the back of the VIP terminal at ORT Airport. If he asked me for advice, I would advise him to resign from Cabinet before he embarrasses himself even more than he already has. The only appropriate disciplinary action is to terminate his membership of the cabinet. He cannot possibly keep him on in the Cabinet with the Public Protector’s finding report standing against him.”