The scandalous scoop: why Mzansi was eager for Norma Mngoma's tell-all on 'Untied'

Unlike their Hollywood counterparts, such as Reese Witherspoon, Jessica Alba, and Jennifer Aniston, who have demonstrably moved on from their divorces, many high-profile personalities in Mzansi are still navigating their healing journeys.

This couldn’t be more apparent than on “Untied”, a Showmax talk show where the well-known guests share their no-holds-barred take on marriage and divorce.

With Relebogile Mabotja tactfully broaching issues that audiences want answered, she does a sterling job in celebrating her guests while empathising with them too. 

Of course, some of the scandals made headlines, too, while others were kept low-key. 

I watched episode one with Nonku Williams, who unpacked her tumultuous marriage before her rise to fame on “The Real Housewives of Durban”.

And who could forget the “cheesecake saga” between Sonia and Matthew Booth that turned the country into zealous spectators, watching the drama play out in headlines and on social media. 

Everyone wanted to hear more straight from the horse's mouth, so to speak.

And it’s been the same curiosity that surrounded Norma Mngoma’s couch session, more so after her ex, Malusi Gigaba, the former beleaguered Minister of Home Affairs, sought a court interdict to stop the episode from airing.

On Wednesday, Mzansi tuned in for the skinny on their relationship. 

Mngoma claimed to be a woman in her own right, highlighting her successes when they met. While she admitted to liking nice things, as flagged by the soft life she led during her marriage, she alluded to being able to afford them, too. 

On her being identified as “the other woman” before she tied the knot with Gigaba, she claimed not to know he was still legally married when they first met. She made it clear she wasn't the reason for his previous marriage ending. 

The businesswoman admitted to getting a call from Gigaba's then-wife, though. 

During her marriage, where they shared two children, Mngoma noted that there were red flags, as various women informed her of her husband’s infidelity. His Diddy-esque move of taking baby oil on his travels also didn’t sit well with her.

There was also talk of his alleged porn addiction, unresolved daddy issues, gaslighting and more. 

Yes, every story has two sides. She disclosed what she could, careful not to prejudice their ongoing legal matters.

Mngoma was given a platform to tell her side and, in doing so, delivered a cautionary tale for many others, which is the objective of the show.

'Untied' is about sharing, without judgment, and finding solidarity among other women. And the upcoming guests - Beverly Steyn, Dawn Thandeka King, Mona Monyane, Palesa Madisakwane and Zandi Nhlapo - promise to share more nuggets of wisdom from their healing journeys.