Mngoma, who is the estranged wife of former Cabinet Minister Malusi Gigaba, has approached the courts to challenge the validity of her arrest.
Norma Gigaba, wife of Former Finance Minister Malusi Gigaba at Pretoria Magistrates Court on 14 September 2020. Picture: Abigail Javier/EWN
JOHANNESBURG – Lawyers for Norma Mngoma have accused the Hawks of abandoning their constitutional duty by getting involved in a domestic matter.
Mngoma, who is the estranged wife of former Cabinet Minister Malusi Gigaba, has approached the courts to challenge the validity of her arrest.
She was arrested by the Hawks in July and her gadgets confiscated after she allegedly damaged a car that was in her husband’s possession.
But there has been widespread outrage about why the hawks got involved as their mandate is to investigate serious crimes.
When proceedings started on Thursday morning, the intention was to argue the urgency of the matter brought before the court, but council was then allowed to move into the merits of the case.
Arguing on behalf of Mngoma, advocate Tembeka Ngukaitobi has questioned how a specialised unit like the Hawks has been drawn into a domestic dispute.
“It is about the restoration of the jurisdictional relish of a crucial crime-fighting unit in this country known as the Hawks. If the Hawks are not bound by the rule of law to strictly follow their mandate, the potential for abuses is manifest.”
He has also accused the officers who carried out the arrest of perjury saying false information was listed on the warrant of arrest.
“Because they had to pretend as if they came from Brooklyn when they knew that it was a lie when they actually came from Mpumalanga.”
In her affidavit, Mngoma claimed the only reason the Hawks were roped into this matter was that her husband is a well-connected political figure.
Judgment in the matter has been reserved.
