Norma Mngoma has penned a message on social media, saying she forgives former finance minister Malusi Gigaba.

Mngoma, who is Gigaba’s estranged wife, took to Instagram on Thursday and posted a photo of herself with a mask on, which she said she took last month in court.

She was arrested after being accused of damaging a Mercedes-Benz G Wagon that belonged to Gigaba’s friend, News24 reported.

She was charged with malicious damage to property and crimen injuria.The charges were withdrawn last month, with the National Prosecuting Authority stating the decision to reinstate the case would depend on her representations.

In the three-part public post on her verified account on Thursday, she described the events of the day when the Hawks arrested her in July last year.

“On that night, it was too cold & I was sharing a cell with other 2 ladies they slept early, and I was in disbelief that I was there. I was still trying to figure it out how do I sleep on the cold small mattress on the floor, toilet is here and shower with a bar of soap and cold water in winter, and all of us were sharing that, I was even scared to go pee in front of strangers damn that was a small hell…(sic)” she says in the post.Mngoma also detailed how she was hungry while in the cell and had even requested Gigaba to bring her socks, a blanket and food, which he did. But the food and blanket were not permitted.

“I said thank you & I told him to be strong & tell the boys that I was doing school work with a friend, I wanted to be strong for him, I assured him I was gonna be okay, in the morning he came, but he was not allowed to see me, my Lawyer came around 11, he pulled all the strings with my friend finally the hawks were forced to bring back the docket & I was granted a bail… (sic)” “I got the shock of my life that my ex husband is the one who got me arrested.”

Mngoma said she still had unanswered questions about what had happened.

She also stated that she had prepared for war after learning about her divorce from a Sunday World article.

She adds that she never thought love could turn into hate and betrayal.

“… He has done so many things of what public know is a drop of water, and you think is a lot but today I choose to forgive him not that he deserves it but I do it as my part of my healing process… (sic)”.

The criminal charges against Mngoma were withdrawn in the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court last month after the Director of Public Prosecutions decided, after the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria found that her arrest by the Hawks was unlawful.

News24 reported in February, that the High Court had found that Gigaba abused his power by getting the Hawks to arrest Mngoma for allegedly trashing his friend’s car – in order to intimidate her.

Gigaba said at the time that he did not want to comment on the High Court ruling.

“It is clear that this in fact is a domestic dispute between two prominent members of society, however, the offences are not deserving of the high priority of the Hawks, and the involvement of the Hawks itself speaks to the abuse of power by Mr Gigaba as a former minister in using the state administration for his own personal benefit with the intention to intimidate his wife in a domestic spat,” High Court Judge Cassim Sardiwalla stated.