Gigaba denies receiving cash, gifts from Guptas
Former minister Malusi Gigaba has denied receiving large sums of money from the Gupta brothers, including donations and gifts.
Gigaba was back at the commission of inquiry into state capture on Monday.
Gigaba was primarily responding to allegations in the affidavit of his estranged wife Norma Mngoma.
Last week, he told the commission that Mngoma is an elaborate liar who is using the commission to get a divorce settlement from him.
The commission’s chair, Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo, asked him why he thinks Mngoma would say that she saw a bag of money in his car and linked it to the Guptas instead of saying she saw him being given money directly by the Guptas.
"There is an ulterior motive to paint me in a particular light she has to fabricate this story so carefully that it does not implicate her,” Gigaba answered.
“Because if she was there and saw me being given money that was illicit it would have implicated her in illegality. When she was being couched about her affidavit, she was told to recuse herself and say she did not see the money being given to her.
"I was a minister chairperson, earning an income and you could for some reasons, including paying for the parking tickets and stuff like, that you could carry cash in your bag to pay for such things.
"So, I wouldn't be able to tell the chair her motives or why she crafts her statements in such a careful fashion, but I can say to the chairperson is that the reason she never saw the money being carried by me to the car and tries to implicate the protectors is that there was no such money.”
Gigaba also denied allegations by Mngoma that he told her the Guptas would be giving him cash as a gift for their wedding and would fund their honeymoon to Dubai.
He said the Guptas were not even invited to their wedding.
Gigaba claims the time of the wedding he had “cooled off” his relations with the Guptas due to rumours that they were influencing former president Jacob Zuma.
Gigaba told the commission it was not true that he used cash from the Guptas to buy designer suits, as it was personal friends who owned HTK Sartoriale.
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On the Guptas naturalisation
Mngoma told the commission that in 2015 Gigaba told her he was assisting the Guptas to get citizenship.
She said they both went to the Guptas home where Ajay Gupta had to sign.
Gigaba denied this, saying it was impossible for a minister to assist anyone with naturalisation.
"Ms Mngoma projects herself as this important person with whom I consulted on everything. This is the same person who once claimed she was responsible for the production of smart ID cards and e-passports.
“This is not true, the issue of the Gupta naturalisation has been clarified at the Portfolio Committee of Home Affairs in Parliament in an inquiry.
"Five members of the family applied for naturalisation in 2012 or 2015, they applied separately for a reason that the department could not explain. Their application was grouped together as family, there was an entire process which followed of which their application was declined because one member was found to not be eligible for naturalisation and they appealed," he added.
