Gigaba tells Zondo of SMS alleging Norma hired people to kill him

Malusi Gigaba has told the Zondo Commission he received an SMS in 2020 stating his estranged wife, Norma Mngoma, had hired people to kill him.

Gigaba told Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo, who chairs the commission, he approached the minister of police for advice.

“The minister of police said to me, that ‘I will ask people involved in investigations of political matters and assassinations to contact you’.”

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He said he was contacted by the Hawks who informed him a Captain Mavuso was assigned to investigate the matter.

“When this domestic thing happened by the same person, the fury, the anger with which it happened if you saw that car and how it was damaged, you could see that this person was extremely angry when she did this. The damages to the car cost half-a-million rand to fix.”

Gigaba added there was a domestic incident on 20 July.

The following day, the Hawks took a statement, and 10 days later, Mngoma was arrested after being accused of damaging a Mercedes-Benz G Wagon that belonged to Gigaba’s friend, News24 reported.

He said the reason he called Mavuso was that he was already investigating a case involving Mngoma.

She was charged with malicious damage to property and crimen injuria.

The charges were withdrawn after the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria found her arrest by the Hawks was unlawful.

The High Court also found Gigaba abused his power by getting the Hawks to arrest Mngoma for allegedly trashing his friend’s car to intimidate her. Meanwhile, he challenged her to provide evidence that he was in Dubai with Ajay Gupta.

“There was no trip where I was in Dubai with Mr Ajay [Gupta]. No trip whatsoever. I challenge her [Norma Mngoma] to provide evidence.”

Mngoma had previously told the commission the Guptas paid for their trip to Dubai.

She added Ajay Gupta bought Gigaba expensive watches while in Dubai.

“I challenge her to provide proof of Mr Ajay being in Dubai on the trip she alleges, where he went out to buy me watches. No such has happened. I was never bought any watches by Mr Ajay Gupta.”

Gigaba also accused Mngoma of being a “pathological liar”.

He said: “Ms Mngoma lies, pathologically, she makes a habit of lying, she says some things today, she denies them tomorrow or even on the same day.

“You are dealing with lies, inconsistencies and somebody who is not willing to tell the truth.”

He denied Mngoma asked for a divorce in February 2020 and that he asked to delay it until he appeared before the commission.

“In February 2020, I didn’t know that I would be appearing before the commission,” Gigaba said.

He and Mngoma have been married for six years and are yet to finalise their divorce.

Gigaba said what prompted her to appear before the commission was related to their divorce and her concerns about the settlement.

Jeanette Chabalala