Norma Gigaba free to return home after spending weekend at friend

Norma Gigaba, the wife of former cabinet minister Malusi Gigaba, may return to her marital home after spending the weekend at a friend's residence.

This was approved by the magistrate's court in Hatfield, Pretoria, on Monday.

The case against her, on charges of malicious damage to property and crimen injuria, has been postponed to September 14.

The matter is expected to be transferred to the regional court because the amount of damage allegedly caused by her is more than R100,000.

Wearing a black pencil pants suit, styled hair and blue nail varnish, she was flanked by advocates Dali Mpofu and Tembeka Ngcukaitobi and attorney Victor Nkwashu on arrival at court.

She arrived in a black Jeep.

After the brief hearing, Nkwashu said the bail hearing at the weekend was told about a possible charge of assault but it wasn’t mentioned in court on Monday.

Gigaba's legal team intends to bring a civil matter to challenge the validity of her arrest.

“From the time the matter was investigated by the Hawks, they had visited her house multiple times. They came to her house late on Friday afternoon, and one wonders why that happened,” Nkwashu said.

Regarding his client's state of mind, Nkwashu said: “She’s a bit traumatised because of spending a winter night in custody away from her children. She was coughing a lot on Saturday but she is in good health.”

Her husband was not seen at court.