Malusi Gigaba is caught in South Africa's latest sex tape fiasco

GovernmentZA via Flickr (CC BY-ND 2.0)

In a thread, Gigaba acknowledged that a video (which quite literally portrays him with his pants down) doing the rounds online was genuine, and “publicly apologised” to the nation and his family.

My wife and I have learned, with regret and sadness, that a video containing material of a sexual nature, meant for our eyes only, which was stolen when my communication got illegally intercepted/my phone got hacked, in 2016/17, is circulating among certain political figures...

— Malusi Gigaba (@mgigaba) October 28, 2018

Gigaba added that the video has been used in “blackmail and extortion attempts, dating back to the period immediately following my appointment as Minister of Finance”.

While these “attempts” have been reported to the authorities, Gigaba turned his attention to his family.

“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 of this private material will cause,” he added.

Of course, Twitter being Twitter, #Gigaba began trending on the social network late on Saturday. It continued to trend well into Sunday.

Theories of how the video leaked was a top topic. SA businessman Kenny Kunene suggested that EFF leader Julius Malema purchased it.

The truth about @mgigaba video is that he sent it to his wife. That is the only truth. Everything else is gossip n lies. @Julius_S_Malema wasted his money on this one.

— Kenny Kunene (@Kenny_T_Kunene) October 28, 2018

My Brother @mgigaba you don’t owe the public any apology! We relate to you in your profession not your personal life. Do you my brother and whatever it takes to keep the romance on edge! But here’s my advise to you! pic.twitter.com/rRVYcxgi00

— Tbo Touch (@iamtbotouch) October 28, 2018

Bafwethu I've been waiting for this Home Affairs video, lethan phela #Gigaba pic.twitter.com/knhxIxhKq4

— Fisokuhle Zwane (@Physoh_Madness) October 28, 2018

Oh Jesus Lord sanitize my eyes from what I've just saw �������� #Gigaba pic.twitter.com/eeQ74TxTr7

— nomtsetse��❤ (@Sese_Rululu) October 28, 2018