The minister has made no mention of when the video was produced but we can conclude it was on his phone as early as 2016. So yes, it’s of a personal nature. But it’s also unsettling that, as recently as two-years ago, a person of the minister’s caliber would think it wise to store sexual content, that includes him as a participant, on his phone.
He is a powerful figure within his own organisation, a somewhat controversial one at that. It’s safe to say his counterparts, and many on the opposition benches, would love nothing more than to get their hands on his phone and spend time scrolling through its contents. As such, it’s reasonable to think the minister would be especially cautious about what he saves on his communication devices, whether personal or state-issued.
Gigaba’s sexual and moral choices aside, one expects certain basic security considerations regarding communication to apply for officials at a senior, national level. As Minister of Home Affairs, Gigaba is privy to sensitive information that not only pertains to him directly, but also to his role and responsibilities in his service to his country and to us, South Africans.
There’s another argument that the leaking of the video is not only of a private nature, but isn’t even newsworthy considering no state money is involved. Well, not that we know of. The minister’s spokesperson, who he appointed in a private capacity, claims that the video was leaked by an opposition politician.