Over the weekend, a video containing sexually explicit material of a former South African minister got leaked on social media, particularly among political figures. It elicited shock and anger, with many South Africans demanding to know how such a content got distributed.
The former minister, Malusi Gigaba, came out on Sunday to confirm that the video was his, saying that it was leaked after his phone was hacked by “state security agents.” He added that the video, which was meant for him and his wife is now being used as blackmail.
“Several started demanding from around April an amount of 10m rand ($690,000, £540,000) in cash.
“When it became clear that he was really not interested in entertaining these blackmail demands the call now began to demand that he intervenes in various state entities,” Vuyo Mkhize, the spokesperson of the former finance minister was quoted by the public broadcaster SABC.
Gigaba, now Home Affairs minister, was taken to the finance ministry in March last year after former President Jacob Zuma sacked Pravin Gordhan. Though he did not disclose the nature of the blackmail demands, the minister said the matter is being investigated by law enforcement and intelligence agencies.
He has, however, apologized to the general public and his family for the “pain and embarrassment” caused.
In a series of tweets, he said:
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
This video has been at the centre of a number of blackmail and extortion attempts, dating back to the period immediately following my appointment as Minister of Finance, on 31 March 2017, all of which I have steadfastly refused to entertain…
— Malusi Gigaba (@mgigaba) October 28, 2018
These blackmail/extortion attempts as well as the illegal interception of my communication/hacking of my phone have all been reported to the relevant law enforcement/intelligence agencies and I am advised that the resultant investigations are still continuing…
— Malusi Gigaba (@mgigaba) October 28, 2018
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…
— Malusi Gigaba (@mgigaba) October 28, 2018
This is not the first time the minister has been entangled in sexual controversy. In January 2016, his wife Norma Gigaba confirmed he had been having an affair with New York-based stylist Buhle Mkhize, according to Sky News.
I hope our nation will, someday, constructively engage with the question of whether it is correct to condone and promote the gross invasion of the privacy of others by distributing such material, more especially in the clear absence of a public interest justification…
— Malusi Gigaba (@mgigaba) October 28, 2018
Gigaba, whose first marriage ended in divorce, has, however, said that the recent development was a privacy issue, a view that has been held by many, including lawyer and social media expert Emma Sadleir, who has told South African media, News24 that it is a criminal offence to share sexual content without the consent of the person in the material.
She explained that “this is a clear infringement of privacy and that case law exists to show that there is no public interest in disseminating such content.”
Her comments come in the wake of complaints about the lack of privacy laws in most African countries to deal with people who redistribute someone’s personal sex videos.
Though sex tapes are sometimes recorded as part of a publicity stunt, it has become more of revenge porn, which portrays sexually explicit materials of one or more people without their consent via various media.
Even though in several western states there are privacy laws to curb this unfortunate trend, such laws are largely non-existent in Africa.
Early this year, a viral video of a Kenyan deputy governor allegedly in bed with a married woman elicited different reactions on social media.
In the video, some men were questioning Kirinyaga Deputy Governor Peter Ndambiri Njagi and his lover, an unknown woman, both of whom are in their birthday suit. They eventually beat him up, forcing him to acknowledge that he is the deputy governor and not a businessman as he had initially introduced himself.
Many condemned the video, with the police later assuring that the suspects would be arrested.
In South Africa, there are two bills currently before Parliament – the Cybercrimes Bill and the Film and Publication Amendment Bill – that will criminalise the reposting of sexual content without the consent of the parties implicated, Sadlier said. But until they get passed, the trend is likely go on.
Here’s how people reacted to the supposed sex tape of the Home Affairs minister:
Do you mean Norma Gigaba a whole IT Specialist can’t track down who leak their sex tape? The very same IT Specialist that save the Department of Home Affairs? ?
— M. Suttle (@moesuttle) October 28, 2018
Ofcourse the sex tape won’t affect Gigaba politically. He’s a man.
— Sebenzile Nkambule (@SebeNkambule) October 29, 2018
Just because your sex tape wasn’t leaked, that doesn’t make you holier than #Gigaba ???? pic.twitter.com/OlyTE5HaVA
— Katleho Prosperity Mboniswa (@KatlehoMboniswa) October 28, 2018
#Gigaba makes a sex tape privately in the comfort of his house, then departmental spokesperson has to use state resources to spin it for him!! #GigabaSexTape
— Hloni Nyetanyane (@HloniNyetanyane) October 28, 2018
On Min Gigaba sex tape: Disseminating sexual videos/photos of someone without their consent is a form of sexual assault/violence. The question of why the material exists is not your business, its irrelevant in fact.
— Nolwazi Tusini (@NolwAzi_Tusini) October 28, 2018
They legalise weed then #Gigaba sex tape leaks? Was the side chick high on a Sunday morning or what #GigabaChallenge pic.twitter.com/p68cjEqiaB
— Mpendulo Comazitha Nhlebeya (@comazitha) October 29, 2018
We tend to forget that ministers and presidents are not robots, but human beings too. When a man leak a woman’s sex tape, the society become upset & protect her. But when a woman leak a man’s sex tape, society celebrate. #Gigaba
— Katlego Maseng (@KatlegoMaseng1) October 28, 2018
‘People who leaked Malusi Gigaba sex tape can be held liable’ https://t.co/2ikjWEY0nn pic.twitter.com/Rt5vhE5xxP
— Eyewitness News (@ewnupdates) October 28, 2018
