‘PLOT AGAINST MALUSI’S LIFE’
Shock claim after wife’s arrest
● The glamorous wife of former cabinet minister Malusi Gigaba spent a night behind bars this weekend for allegedly trashing his close friend’s car — but also because the Hawks believe she could be involved in a conspiracy against her husband.
Gigaba has vowed to “continue to do everything within my power to support [her] during this difficult period”.
She was released on R5,000 bail late yesterday. However, an impeccably placed source within the Hawks, who spoke to the Sunday Times on condition of anonymity, said a threat on Gigaba’s life had been uncovered in June, and when Norma Gigaba allegedly attacked the car two weeks ago in what other sources said was a “jealous rage”, they used the opportunity to establish her involvement in the alleged conspiracy.
“The threat on Malusi Gigaba’s life was reported to the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation [the Hawks]. A team was assembled to look into these allegations. Intelligence was collected and the allegations were found to be credible,” the Hawks source said.
While the investigation took shape, the 40-yearold socialite is said to have gone on a rampage in which she allegedly left deep scratches in the R3m black Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG “G-Wagon” which had been lent to her husband by his close friend, trade unionist and businessman Peterson Siyaya.
She also allegedly trashed her husband’s study and called Siyaya — who a source close to Gigaba said Norma believed was a bad influence — on the phone to threaten and insult him.
“When she did what she did, it presented us with an opportunity to drill into what we were already investigating,” the Hawks source said.
“She was already the subject of an investigation when [the car] was attacked and neither she nor her husband was aware of the probe.”
It is understood that Norma’s cellphone and other devices were seized by investigators and would be examined by the police’s cybercrimes unit.
Repeated attempts to contact Norma’s family for comment were unsuccessful. Gigaba’s attorney, Victor Nkwashu, said he had advised his client to stay mum.
Zandile Ndlovu, listed as a director of the Norma Gigaba Foundation, said she and Norma had lost touch recently and she could not comment.
Norma was arrested in the presence of her husband at her plush Pretoria home on Friday, nearly two weeks after he and Siyaya opened criminal cases against her with the police.
“The marriage has been toxic for years and Malusi has been complaining that she is not supportive and that she is materialistic,” said a source close to Gigaba who also confirmed that the Hawks were investigating a threat on Gigaba’s life.
“This is not the first time she has trashed things, but this time it was not possible to keep things hush-hush,” the source said.
The police docket indicates that the damage inflicted on Siyaya’s car was so severe that it would take about R500,000 to fix.
But Gigaba, who is now employed by the ANC after being shuffled out of the cabinet, could not afford the repairs. A source close to him said that for Siyaya to access his insurance, Gigaba had to open a police case.
“So, she trashes the car and trashes the study and then talks to the guy and tells him what she thinks of him,” the source alleged.
Siyaya also laid a complaint of crimen injuria against Norma.
Gigaba, a source alleged, has been unfaithful and “has to own up to his shortcomings as a husband”.
“In the midst of all of that is the depth of her jealous rage whenever she finds out about a relationship he’s having … She wants to maintain a happy family façade … He’s had numerous affairs,” the source said.
Gigaba had tried to withdraw the charges he laid against Norma, a source said yesterday, and lawyers representing her and Siyaya have been in negotiations all week to resolve matters.
“She was contrite. She was advised to apologise, and their lawyers have been in discussions about what such an apology would entail. He was trying to resolve it amicably.
“He was at the police station until very late last [Friday] night trying to plead with them to grant her bail, but he was not successful.”
Norma will appear in court tomorrow.
Gigaba said he could not fathom why the Hawks would detain his wife.
“I really don’t see how the decision to arrest my wife, the mother of my children, on a Friday, in the absence of any indication that she would have failed to present herself in court, if warned to do so, could ever be justified,” he said.
“The fact that I filed a criminal complaint against her does not mean that I do not care about her or her right to fair and humane treatment in the hands of the police. I shall continue to do everything within my power to support her during this difficult period,” he said, adding a request that they be given privacy to deal with “underlying problems we are facing”.
Gigaba and Siyaya, a businessman and official of the National Union of Mineworkers, are close friends. Pictures on Siyaya’s Instagram page show how he toured the country with the former minister. There are also pictures showing the G-Wagon, his luxury watches and Louis Vuitton luggage.
Hawks spokesperson Brig Hangwani Mulaudzi denied there had been political pressure to arrest Norma, saying: “This is a warrant of arrest and when it is authorised it must be executed.”
The Gigabas have had a tumultuous marriage since they tied the knot in December 2014.
Shortly after their glitzy nuptials, Gigaba was outed as a philanderer by New York-based stylist Buhle Mkhize. Mkhize claimed their affair began before the Gigabas were married and continued after.
In 2018, Gigaba was embroiled in a sex-tape scandal after a video clip of him naked went viral.
At the time, Gigaba held that his phone had been hacked and that the video, in which he said “Imagine this in your mouth”, was only meant for Norma.