Johannesburg - Norma Mngoma, the estranged wife of former finance minister Malusi Gigaba, has spilled the beans about her separation and what used to happen behind the scenes in her marriage.
In an interview with eNCA on Thursday, Mngoma said that Gigaba received money and gifts from the Gupta family in exchange for him doing favours for them, especially while he was public enterprises minister, she said.
She said her husband, who she is in the middle of divorce proceedings with, often visited the Saxonwold mansion where the Guptas lived and said on a few occasions, the Guptas came to their Pretoria home.
She would also visit, but she would never be present in the meetings, nor did she ever see cash exchange hands, she said.
“We would visit and sometimes we get gifts, I didn't know what for,” she said.
Mngoma said Gigaba has become paranoid about some of the alleged gifts he received from the Guptas, apparently telling her he had declared some gifts, but not all.
“They used to give him a lot of money and he would say I do favours for the Guptas,” said Mngoma.
Mngoma said the Guptas funded her wedding, her honeymoon and renovations of a Gigaba property. She said money received from the family was also used to clear Gigaba’s sisters R850 000 debt.
“He is the one that would answer better,” she said.
She said she would be willing to testify at the Commission of Inquiry into State Capture if she was called upon.
SEPARATION
Mngoma said she knew her marriage with the former minister would not last when Gigaba appeared to turn on former president Jacob Zuma during a CNN interview.
“I knew he would do it to me as well, I knew that my turn was coming,” she said.
She added that she had chosen to drop the Gigaba surname and return to her maiden name as she wanted to close that chapter of her life.
“Gigaba didn't work for me, so I decided to go back to my surname, it no longer served a purpose. I want to close that chapter because I don't want to be there anymore,” she said.
When asked about Gigaba’s infamous pornographic video, Mngoma said that video had never been intended for her.
She also said Gigaba probably did not know who the video was intended for as “there are lots of those”, she said referring to women in her husband’s life.
She also said Gigaba had a porn addiction.
DEATH THREATS
Mngoma also said allegations that she was part of a murder plot to murder her husband were “imaginary”.
“It is imaginary. I don’t think there is anyone who wants to kill him.
“If there is something like that he would not leave the house without bodyguards.
“Luthuli House paid for bodyguards but he goes out on his own. If someone wanted to kill him he would be with bodyguards 24/7,” she said.
Mngoma also painted a picture of a power hungry Gigaba who had become addicted to power. She said when he did not make it back to the Cabinet and lost his blue-light privileges and protections, he became angry and paranoid.
She said in one incident in Mandeni, she called Police Minister Bheki Cele alleging that there were people outside his house who were trying to kill him.
She said that was a figment of his imagination.
Meanwhile, Gigaba said he would not be commenting on anything his wife had to say.
Taking to Twitter before the interview was aired, he said:
“To Whom It May Concern. Please note that I shall not be commenting on any aspect of the Moja Love TV audition which will be airing on eNCA at 18h00, tonight.
“My energy is exclusively reserved for my fight with the askaris who are the de facto puppet masters,” he said.
To Whom It May Concern
— Malusi Gigaba (@mgigaba) December 17, 2020
Please note that I shall not be commenting on any aspect of the Moja Love TV audition which will be airing on eNCA at 18h00, tonight.
My energy is exclusively reserved for my fight with the askaris who are the de facto puppet masters.#LongLiveTheAnc!
IOL