South African Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba has publicly apoligised after a video showing him playing with his penis leaked online.

Gigaba said the video was deliberately leaked by someone who was demanding R5 million for the video, which was stolen from his cellphone. He claims that he became aware of this just before his appointment as finance minister in March 2017.

In the 13-second video, the minister is seen  alone playing with his penis with his hand while saying: “Imagine if this is in your mouth.”

Gigaba has since publicly apologized for the  sexual video, which he says was intended only for his wife and himself.

In several tweets on Sunday morning, 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.

“This video has been at the center 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.

“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..

“I take this opportunity to publicly apologize, 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…”

Gigaba has suggested that the leaked video of him engaging in the sexual act was a political attempt to assassinate his character as the ANC compiles its list of MPs ahead of next year’s elections.