‘Untied' with Relebogile Mabotja: South African women share their powerful divorce journeys
Award-winning presenter Relebogile Mabotja is stepping back in front of the camera as the host of a bold new talk show.
The new Showmax Original 'Untied' sees Mabotja sit down with some of South Africa's most recognisable women who have been through a divorce.
Businesswoman Norma Mngoma, whose high-profile marriage and public fallout shocked the country, is the first guest. Mngoma was previously married to former Minister of Finance Malusi Gigaba and their split was headline-making.
The emotional resonance deepens as each episode spotlights stories from public figures including reality stars Beverly Steyn and Nonku Williams, celebrated actresses Dawn Thandeka King, Mona Monyane, and Palesa Madisakwane, iconic media personality Zandi Nhlapo, and model and social entrepreneur, Sonia Booth.
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The Citizen
5 minutes ago
- The Citizen
Gigaba set for PhD after airing of ex-wife's explosive tell-all episode on ‘Untied'
UJ is also expected to confer a PhD on fellow politician Mmusi Maimane during the graduation ceremony. Malusi Gigaba is set for a PhD from the University of Johannesburg Picture: Sharon Seretlo/Gallo Images via Getty Images Just a week after his ex-wife Norma Mngoma's explosive episode was screened on Showmax's United, Member of Parliament Malusi Gigaba was announced as among the 2 163 graduates at the University of Johannesburg (UJ) winter graduation ceremony. The institution's graduation ceremony is being held between 16-31 July, and Gigaba will be conferred with a PhD. Gigaba holds a Bachelor of Pedagogics in Education from the University of Durban-Westville, where he studied from 1989 to 1990. He obtained a Master of Arts Degree in Social Policy from the same university from 1992 to 1994. He currently serves as the co-chair of the joint standing committee on defence. These ceremonies are specifically for candidates who met the graduation requirements between 1 January and 31 March, 2025. The ceremonies will take place at the UJ Auditorium on the Auckland Park Kingsway Campus. UJ is also expected to confer a PhD on fellow politician Mmusi Maimane during the graduation ceremony. ALSO READ: Gigaba's ex-wife on leaked sex video: 'We were blackmailed for almost six months' Norma on marriage to Gigaba Mngoma features on the fourth episode of Untied, a talk show series that unpacks the complex world of divorce through the stories of famous women who have lived it. Untied is hosted by Relebogile Mabotja. Gigaba attempted to halt the airing of the episode by taking the matter to the Johannesburg High Court; however, the court dismissed the bid last week, allowing Showmax to broadcast it. In the episode, Mngoma reflects on their relationship, detailing how it began and how it eventually came to an end. In 2014, after Gigaba's marriage to his ex-wife was finalised, the ANC member and Mngoma tied the knot. Mngoma said the wedding, held at the Durban Botanic Gardens, cost about R6 million to R7 million. She said the wedding and marriage didn't stop Gigaba's alleged mistresses from hassling her. According to Mngoma, it reached the point where Gigaba was allegedly being blackmailed by some of the women. 'Others, they wanted him to cancel the wedding. 'Then I'm gonna tell your wife this and that,' it was just a lot. He made me believe that these things were not true and not existing.' Mngoma alleged that during this time, Gigaba was more focused on keeping a 'clean' public image of the couple. 'In the beginning, he never paid so much attention to fixing things in the house. He was more of how the public sees him… and then he's posting me,' she said. Mngoma alleged that Gigaba would make up excuses not to attend therapy sessions he initiated. She recalled that at one point, Gigaba accused a therapist, who is white, of being racist. 'Or sometimes he will say 'no, the therapist is DA'. He used to have a reason why he's not continuing, and I will find another one,' Mngoma said. 'He was more focused on fixing the [public] image… us, the Gigabytes. And then he's posting me writing long captions, and people are clapping for him, how much he loves so loud.' NOW READ: 'It's important for women to have these conversations': Sonia opens up about marriage to Matthew Booth
IOL News
3 days ago
- IOL News
The scandalous scoop: why Mzansi was eager for Norma Mngoma's tell-all on 'Untied'
Norma Mngoma spilled the tea on her marriage to Malusi Gigaba on 'Untied'. Image: Supplied 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. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ 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.
Mail & Guardian
5 days ago
- Mail & Guardian
The art of holding space: Relebogile Mabotja on love, loss and Untied
A listening ear: Relebogile Mabotja hosts and is the associate producer of Untied, a series in which each episode focuses on one woman's story of breakup and healing. Relebogile Mabotja is no stranger to the spotlight. From radio to television, she has built a reputation for her sharp intellect, commanding presence and the gift of making the most delicate conversations feel like home. But in her latest Showmax series, Untied, in which she is host and associate producer, she shifts the spotlight off herself and onto the experiences of women navigating the messy terrain of separation, heartbreak and healing. The result is raw, riveting and deeply human. The show features Beverly Steyn, Nonku Williams, Dawn Thandeka King, Mona Monyane, Palesa Madisakwane, Zandi Nhlapo and Sonia Booth. We meet through a video call. It's one of those afternoon meetings that feel more like a catch-up with a cousin than a formal interview. Before we dive into the depths of the show, I have to get this out of the way: the outfits in Untied? Absolutely breathtaking. 'Oh, thank you,' she beams. 'I wish I could take credit, but there's an amazing stylist behind that. They made sure everything was perfect.' But what Untied gets right beyond the aesthetics is its unwavering emotional honesty. It's not just another heartbreak show. It's a tribute to resilience. Each episode gives space to one woman's story of love lost, relationships redefined and the quiet courage it takes to begin again. At the centre of it all is Mabotja, a host who doesn't posture or pry but gently holds space. 'What draws you to these kinds of stories?' I ask. Her answer is simple: curiosity. 'I'm drawn to human experiences. I've always been curious about what we go through as people, and love and loss are something we can all relate to.' She didn't think she'd be chosen to host the show. 'I pitched for it and didn't get it,' she laughs. 'When they called me, I said, 'Are you sure? I thought someone who'd gone through what some of these ladies have been through would be more relatable.' But they were clear. They wanted me. And once it started, I understood why. It was meant to be.' For Mabotja, this moment aligns with a deeper calling. 'I was already intentional about being the go-to person for sensitive conversations. I don't think of myself as someone who only facilitates divorce stories. I'm drawn to vulnerable, complex stories, ones that ask us to show up fully.' Watching Untied, you feel the safety in the room. These women, many of whom are telling their stories on camera for the first time, offer their truths freely. I ask how she manages to create such trust. Her answer feels less like technique and more like an ethic of care. 'I ask myself, how would I want someone to ask me a difficult question?' she says. 'Some therapists have told me, 'You're in your therapy era,'' she chuckles. 'But really, I've always believed in talk therapy and the power of different kinds of healing. I try to create a judgment-free zone, a space with a listening ear that comes in without assumptions.' Some of the guests she knows. Many she doesn't. But she approaches each conversation with radical openness. 'If I'm not careful, my own biases could steer the conversation in a direction that's not true to them. So I have to stay open.' One episode in particular stayed with her long after the cameras stopped rolling. It hasn't aired yet, but it involves the death of a child. 'That one touched me in ways I can't explain,' she says. 'As a parent, you become more sensitive to certain topics. You hear people say, 'When a mother loses a child, every mother grieves with her.' And it's true. Even when I knew beforehand what the episode was about, I could never prepare myself emotionally. You don't get desensitised to that kind of pain.' There's a depth of emotional labour involved in work like this. But Mabotja doesn't rely on scripts or autopilot. She prepares in a deeply personal way. 'The team gives me a brief based on the pre-interviews, but before I sit down, I disconnect from everything else in my life. I have to fully arrive. I don't work with a script, I rely on active listening. That's how I stay present.' In a world of hot takes and hyper-reactions, Untied is refreshingly unhurried. It doesn't weaponise pain for ratings. It listens. Mabotja was determined to keep it that way. 'I told myself from the beginning: I'm not going to cry for the sake of crying or become someone I'm not. I've never been a sensationalist. It doesn't interest me and it doesn't align with who I am.' That refusal to perform pain or exploit it for entertainment is what gives Untied its emotional credibility. 'Yes, sometimes I can be funny or spicy,' she says, 'but I always try to be authentic. If a viewer feels like they're eavesdropping on a conversation between friends, then I know I've done my job.' Has the show changed her view on love, separation or healing? She says: 'What it's really shown me is how much we can carry as human beings. We are far more resilient than we realise. Some of these women have gone through so much and come out the other side wiser, more grounded, more whole. It's not just about love or marriage or divorce. It's about capacity. About growth.' I ask what it looks like for her, personally, to be 'untied' from something emotionally heavy. She pauses. Her answer is layered. 'My dad always says, 'It's okay to pause it.' When something is overwhelming, we want to fix it now. But sometimes, you just need to put it down for a while. Not because it's not important, but because you need to protect your own capacity.' She also speaks about changing the narratives we tell ourselves. 'You can talk about your past without letting it define you. I've had to untie myself from stories like 'I'm not worthy' or 'I'm not good enough.' Those stories are not the truth, they're just the stories I told myself once.' And finally, she says, it's about updating the tools you use to survive. 'There could be a time where someone who operated from scarcity can now be scared of not having money, for example. But when that phase of your life is over, you can't keep using the same tools. You've got to grow with the problem. That's part of the untying too.' Our time runs out, but the conversation feels unfinished in the best possible way, like one you'll return to later, when you need to. That's what Untied does. It doesn't wrap things up in a neat bow. It sits with the mess, the grief, the beauty, and the strength that comes with being human. 'I just hope people see themselves in these stories,' Mabotja says, 'and realise they're not alone.'
