Malusi Gigaba's alleged ex-mistress details scandalous affair, R288,000 cash gift and trips

30 November 2015 - 17:59 By Times LIVE
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Minister of Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba and his wife Nomachule.
Minister of Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba and his wife Nomachule.
Image: Gallo Images / City Press / Lucky Nxumalo

Minister of Home Affairs Malusi Gigaba's alleged ex-mistress has detailed her side of the story regarding their romantic involvement.

New York based stylist, Buhle Mkhize has written an open letter lifting the lid on the  surreptitious affair she allegedly had with Malusi Gigaba.

Their dalliance started in July 2014, lasting an entire year. Mkhize who is married says she met Gigaba on Instagram and realised they shared the same sense of humour.

"By the end of July he’d started sending me private messages that were very basic at first but quickly graduated to flirting. The messages were flattering but uncomfortable, I am married and had had a relationship with a public figure in the past and hated what comes with it so this wasn’t the route I wanted to take even if I was single," Mkhize said.

The exchange of private messages on Instagram quickly escalated to phonecalls and text messages. Eventually, Gigaba arranged for Mkhize to visit him in Cape Town where they spent four days together. Mkhize only returned to her home in New York two weeks later.

 

Malusi and Noma Gigaba on their wedding day.

Mkhize details Noma finding out about the affair and the lies told by Gigaba to cover up the illicit romance.

"I was blocked from his Instagram again and he was instructed to never ever call me. This is when my Noma apology happened," recalls Mkhize.

Key excerpts from Mkhize's open letter:

  • Mkhize officially separated from her husband after he found out about the affair. They have reconciled
  • Mkhize and Noma had a heart to heart in which both women apologised to each other
  • Gigaba gave her several cash gifts, one of which was $20,000 or R288,000 in cash, delivered to her New York apartment for her birthday
  • An arrangement was made in co-operation with SA Intelligence to have R500,000 given to Mkhize in exchange for her silence. The deal fell through after Noma began attacking Mkhize on social media
  • Gigaba apparently lied about seeing Mkhize behind his wife's back, despite being in contact with her the days leading up to his wedding
  • When asked why he had married Noma, Mkhize claims Gigaba said he was cornered into doing so since he had been divorced before and needed to amend his public image
  • According to Mkhize, a phone call with Gigaba revealed he was no longer intimate with Noma

Read the full letter here.

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