From court cases to dropping the Gigaba surname and rebranding: Norma Mngoma's 2020

This year Mzansi was introduced to a different side of former home affairs minister Malusi Gigaba's estranged wife, Noma Mngoma.

Mngoma, who was previously known by her husband's name, made headlines this year after fiery public charges laid against her by her estranged husband for allegedly damaging a R3m Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG reportedly lent to him by a friend.

Here is a quick 411 on what happened in Mngoma's life this year.

Charges

In August, Mngoma spent a night behind bars for allegedly trashing the luxury car.

She also allegedly trashed her husband's study and called a friend of his on the phone to threaten and insult him.

She was later released on R5,000 bail and appeared briefly at the Pretoria regional court a month later on charges of malicious damage to property and crimen injuria.

The matter was postponed to October 23 but her lawyers filed an application with the high court to have her arrest declared invalid.

Fan support

While her name continued to leave a bitter taste in some mouths, Mngoma's fans, mainly women, showed her support and showered her with kind words.

On Instagram, where she has more than a million followers, Mngoma celebrated herself and other powerful women who have been “rooting for her” amid the much-publicised scandal in her marriage.

She posted a picture of herself in a black dress and paid tribute to the powerful women in her life.

"[This] goes to myself and all other women who are rooting for me. Thank you for all the support and warm messages,” she said.

Surname change

In an unexpected turn of events, Mngoma announced that she was going back to her maiden name.

It's not clear whether she and the former minister have filed for a divorce or separation, but Mngoma said she was happy to be using her maiden name again, saying “this is who I am and where I belong”.

Mngoma also changed all her social media handles, citing “new beginnings”.

Emotional roller-coster 

In October, Mngoma opened up about feeling emotional and weak, saying it was OK.

On an Instagram post, Mngoma told women it was normal to feel that way when things weren't coming together.

“I have learnt that the most resilient people are not only strong people but people who are capable of seeing everything as motivation. Don’t allow obstacles to weigh you down, use them as stepping stones to climb higher.

“Keep your head high no matter what you are facing. Tough times are temporary. Don’t feel less of who you are. Always remind yourself that you are making an effort towards becoming that person you want to be.”

Case postponed again

TimesLIVE reported that Mngoma's court matter was once again postponed — to February 12.

The postponement is to allow time for the outcome of the high court proceedings she brought to have her arrest declared unlawful and set aside, as well as for further investigations.

Mngoma's lawyer, Victor Nkhwashu, said they were informed that there was outstanding DNA needed for the case because of delays caused by the Covid-19 lockdown.

The "tell all" interview

In an interview with eNCA in December, Mngoma alleged that Gigaba received money from the controversial Gupta family to maintain their lavish lifestyle.

She also claimed that Gigaba is a “porn addict” and said this and his wandering eye were some of the reasons why their marriage ended.

Pre-empting the interview, Gigaba said he would not be commenting on anything Mngoma had to say.

“To Whom It May Concern. Please note that I shall not be commenting on any aspect of the Moja Love TV audition which will be airing on eNCA at 18h00, tonight. My energy is exclusively reserved for my fight with the askaris who are the de facto puppet masters. #LongLiveTheAnc!” he wrote.

Mngoma also touched on her transformation since splitting from Gigaba, saying she was closing that chapter of her life.

“Norma Mngoma is a person I've always been. Norma Gigaba found Norma Mngoma on the way and when that didn't work, I decided to go back to my surname because the other surname served a purpose until it ended.

“I felt like it no longer served a purpose for me ... I want to close that chapter because I don't want to be there any more.”