AFRICAM MIRROR REPORTER
SHORTLY after he had taken the witness stand, vacated by his estranged wife a few minutes earlier, former Finance Minister Malusi Gigaba declared his intention to deal with what he described as Nomachule Gigaba’s “creative imagination.”
In response to a question from evidence leader Advocate Anton Myburgh’s question about how many times he had visited the home of the Gupta family, accused of being at the centre of state capture, Malusi said: I would want an opportunity, ample opportunity to respond comprehensively to Ms Mngoma’s creative imagination. I want to deal with what she testified here. The expensive lies, the inaccuracies and the fabrications. “
Nomachule, in her testimony, said Malusi had visited the Guptas Saxonwold, Johannesburg not less than 20 times. Malusi said his visits were not more than 20. “It was not more than 20 times, as she claims, because it would beggar the questions, how did she arrive at that calculation, even that the instances she refers to, at which she claims to be present, do not amount to two or three times. That being the case, if she was not there over the next say, 16 or 17 times, then how does she know? She was not there,” he said.
The accusations, denials and counter-accusations have characterised the exchange between the estranged couple, who are in the middle of a divorce.
Earlier, Nomachule denied that she was, as accused by her estranged husband, part of a political ploy to destroy him politically.
Nomachule has also denied accusations made by Malusi that she was bribed with money, a house and car to present negative testimony about him at the judicial commission into state capture, theft and corruption.
Nomachule continued with her testimony before Deputy Judge President Raymond Zondo after it was abruptly stopped following a security threat.
“It’s a lie. No one has bought me a car,” she said on allegations of being bribed. She said she had purchased the car she is currently driving.
Nomachule also rejected an assertion made by the former minister that a member of the ANC’s “Top Six” – the most senior officials in the party – wanted to destory him politically and had also leaked a porn video he had made. The ANC’s “Top Six” is made up of Cyril Ramaphosa (president), David Mabuza (Deputy President), Gwede Mantashe (National Chair) Ace Magashule (Secretary-General), Jessie Duarte (Deputy Secretary) and Paul Mashatile (Treasurer).
The former minister has also denied claims by his wife that he, among others, called the Guptas his advisors, received bags of money and a BMW car from them. He has also said it is not true that the Gupta family paid for the couple’s Dubai honeymoon or that he thought former South African Airways chairperson was not good in her job. His estranged wife has however stuck to her story. She said everything she testified about was something that she witnessed or was told to her by him.
Nomachule told the commission that Malusi had a hand in her unlawful arrest and confiscation of her phones and iPad by The Hawks. She said The Hawks deleted all evidence, including photographs relating to trips paid for by the Gupta family.
In an affidavit, Malusi has also denied that he had meetings with AJ Gupta, one of the brothers. He said he has never met AJ and only met with Atul and Tony Gupta. Nomachule said this was untrue and that there were many meetings with AJ Gupta.
She resumed her testimony at judicial commission of inquiry into state capture after an unspecified security threat last night stopped the hearing.
Chair of the commission, Deputy Judge President Raymond Zondo did not disclose the nature of the security threat.
Evidence leader Advocate Anton Myburgh interrupted Gigaba and told the Deputy Judge President that there needs to be an urgent adjournment. “DCJ, am told that we have to adjourn very urgently… it’s apparently a protector-related issue,” Myburgh said.
Zondo suspended the hearing for a few minutes. He came back and postponed the hearing to today.
Zondo said the adjournment was because of “circumstances beyond our control” but expressed confidence that that commission would be able to continue with its work at the same venue, unless they were advised differently. “We are going to adjourn. Am sorry about that. It’s a situation beyond everyone’s control,” he said.
The commission has had to deal with incidents of security breaches, which include a break-in during which laptops were stolen and shots fired at the building where it is based.
She says she bought the car herself (which would make her a high court judge, I suppose). They don’t ask her to provide any proof of this.
— Malusi Gigaba (@mgigaba) May 21, 2021
Don’t be surprised if the car suddenly goes ‘missing’, just like the one which she claims was my gift from the Guptas. pic.twitter.com/LBUV1cXYkP
