Malusi Gigaba and his wife Norma Mngoma in happier times, attending an ANC gala dinner ahead of the party’s 106th birthday celebrations on12 January 2018 in East London, South Africa. Picture: Gallo Images
Former finance minister Malusi Gigaba said his estranged wife Nomachule ‘Norma’ Gigaba’s wealthy New York-based “father” was in fact her deceased former fiancé.
This emerged after Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo questioned Gigaba about a white three series BMW Norma alleged Gigaba was gifted by the Gupta family at Sahara computers offices in Midrand.
“The BMW did not exist in my opinion. When I met Miss Mngoma, she had a number of cars that she used to come and visit me on… This white BMW three series I never saw.”
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Gigaba said Norma may have confused his white Mercedes Benz ML430 with the BMW. He said the Mercedes was given to him while he was serving as president of the ANC Youth League, which he said was donated by Tokyo Sexwale.
“When I met her, she had many cars. I never questioned the ownership of those cars. She had plenty of money that she said to me was her family wealth. She had a father living in New York doing business. The father passed on in 2010/11 and left her a lot of inheritance she was stressing about to protect.
“I was to learn later this father was her fiancé who was living in Johannesburg and who was well-to-do, and left her inheritance.”
Gigaba said he only learnt this last year, and that he had been lied to by Norma since 2010/11.
Gigaba is adamant that the Gupta family were not invited to he and Norma’s wedding – at least, not by him.
Gigaba said the guest list was well-calculated, and that former president Jacob Zuma was among those invited.
“But the invitations were being done by her. I do not recall he names of all the people invited. I do not believe I would have submitted their names as part of the people to be invited to the wedding.”
This was because their relationship was “cooling off” in 2014, Gigaba said. He explained he did not want to “resuscitate” his relationship with the Guptas because of “high public perceptions”.
“I needed to step off to protect me and my principles.”
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He also said he and Norma did not receive a “cash donation” when they got married, nor was their honeymoon paid for.
Their Dubai holiday, according to Gigaba, was paid for with frequent flyer credits, and he thought he remembered that they did not stay at the Waldorf hotel, as alleged by Norma.
“It must have been a Hilton hotel, certainly not the Waldorf. I think that’s what I remember.”
The testimony continues.