Durban - THE malicious damage to property and crimen injuria charges against Norma Mngoma, the estranged wife of former Cabinet minister Malusi Gigaba, have been withdrawn by the National Prosecuting Authority.
Gigaba appeared at the Hatfield Magistrate’s Court on Friday to face the malicious damage to property and crimen injuria charges after she had last year allegedly damaged a luxury vehicle belonging to a friend of her husband.
Last month, Pretoria High Court Judge Cassin Sardiwalla had ruled that Mngoma’s arrest had been unlawful and constituted an abuse of power on the part of her husband and the Hawks.
Gigaba had been arrested in July 2020 at the couple’s Waterkloof home and several electronic devices including cellphones, a laptop and other devices were confiscated by the Hawks and personal information allegedly downloaded from them before they were returned to her.
Following the decision of the Hawks to withdraw the charges against her, Mngoma told the SABC outside the court that facing the charges had been a “very emotional journey, I don’t want to lie”.
“Although I have the very best legal team who stood by me, I still need to be a mother. Regardless, I had to appear in court, prepare for court and face the public. Twitter and everyone was saying things about me and people don’t know what happened.
“What happened is not what has been said. Whoever opened the case is the one who propagated the whole thing and the truth will come out,” she said.
Political Bureau