Guptas knew about Cabinet appointments ahead of time – Norma Mngoma

Norma Mngoma, the estranged wife of former Minister Malusi Gigaba, revealed that the controversial Gupta brothers had information about Cabinet and State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) appointments long before they were made.

Testifying at the Commission of Inquiry into Allegations of State Capture on Monday, Mngoma said that Gigaba knew about his deployment to the Department of Public Enterprises (DPE) three months prior to the appointment.

Asked by evidence leader Anton Myburgh where the former minister got the information, Mngoma said Gigaba told her the information came from Ajay Gupta.

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“He told me the Guptas knew about SOE appointments ahead of time,” said Mngoma.

“He told me that he would move to the Department of Public Enterprises.”

Mngoma said that Ajay Gupta cautioned Gigaba to “remember why he was appointed Minister DPE.”

She said that Gigaba had a fallout with the controversial Gupta brothers when he felt they were putting pressure on him.

Mngoma said that Gigaba after a while, he started avoiding Guptas’ phone calls because he feared the calls would upset him. She told the commission that Gigaba hated it when the Guptas put pressure on him.

Gigaba did not accept instructions from the Guptas, added Mngoma.

He also had a fallout with then South African Airways (SAA) chair Dudu Myeni.

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She said that Gigaba was threatened by Myeni and the Guptas that if he did not do what he was being instructed to do he would be returned to the Department of Home affairs.

She said that Gigaba was shocked and at the same time hurt when the threats by Guptas and Myeni came to be true.

She said that Gigaba believed that he was sent back to Home Affairs because of clashes with the Guptas.

WATCH: Norma Mngoma at State Capture