A recent social media post has unexpectedly dragged former South African minister Malusi Gigaba back into the public spotlight. The video, shared on X (formerly Twitter) on 17 April 2025, features Gigaba’s ex-girlfriend Buhle Mkhize attempting yoga poses in a sunlit apartment. While the clip itself shows Mkhize’s wellness routine, the online discussion quickly shifted to her past connection with the disgraced politician, reviving memories of one of South Africa’s most spectacular political downfalls.
Buhle Mkhize, the ex-girlfriend of Malusi Gigaba, is demonstrating some mediocre yoga skills. pic.twitter.com/vEvD1tAcfV
— TK_Nala (@NalaThokozane) April 17, 2025
Gigaba, once a rising star in the ANC, saw his career collapse under the weight of multiple scandals. As Minister of Home Affairs and later Finance, he became entangled in the Gupta-linked state capture scandal, with the Zondo Commission finding he “acted improperly” in several appointments. His resignation in 2018 followed the leak of a private video, compounded by very public marital drama involving Mkhize and his then-wife Norma Mngoma.
The viral yoga video has divided public opinion. Some see it as reopening old wounds about accountability for state capture, while others argue it represents unnecessary scrutiny of personal lives. Political analyst Thando Mkhize notes: “This episode reveals our society’s obsession with scandal over substance. The real conversation should be about preventing another Gigaba scenario, not relitigating his personal life.”
For Mkhize, the attention highlights the difficulty of escaping a notorious association. Despite building a career as a New York-based stylist and now wellness content creator, public perception remains tied to her link with Gigaba. Meanwhile, the former minister has kept a low profile since leaving politics, though his legacy continues to symbolize the ANC’s corruption-tainted era.
As South Africa grapples with ongoing governance challenges, this viral moment serves as a reminder of how quickly social media can resurrect past controversies – and how the line between public interest and prurient fascination continues to blur in the digital age. The question remains whether such episodes distract from more pressing national issues or serve as valuable cautionary tales about power and accountability.
