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Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, South Africa’s former Speaker of Parliament, was Thursday charged with 12 counts of corruption and one count of money laundering, following her voluntary surrender to police authorities on Thursday morning. The accusations stem from her tenure as the country’s defence minister, where she allegedly sought bribes in exchange for contract awards.
During her preliminary court appearance, Mapisa-Nqakula refuted all allegations, asserting her innocence and stating, “I do not have a propensity to commit crime.” However, the prosecution, led by Bheki Manyathi at the Pretoria Magistrates’ Court, claimed to possess “ample evidence” against her. She has since been granted bail.
This court action comes in the wake of her resignation on Wednesday, a move she insists is not an admission of guilt but a response to the ongoing investigation’s “seriousness,” which she felt precluded her continuation in office. Her departure from the African National Congress (ANC), a party she has been with for decades, followed a police raid on her Johannesburg residence last month linked to these corruption charges.
Mapisa-Nqakula, 67, who served as defence minister for seven years before becoming Speaker in 2021, sought to preempt her arrest through legal means, arguing it would be a dignity violation. However, this appeal was dismissed by the court earlier this week, citing the non-urgency of the plea and the speculative nature of the arrest concerns.
Allegedly, Mapisa-Nqakula demanded approximately $120,000 from a company owner in exchange for securing a tender related to military equipment transportation. Her rapid resignation is noted as an anomaly, potentially easing the political pressure on the ANC, which has praised her decision as reflective of her commitment to preserving the party’s integrity.
As the ANC approaches challenging elections at month’s end, with some predictions suggesting a potential loss of majority—a first since its ascendancy to power in 1994—this scandal adds to the myriad of corruption and mismanagement accusations that have plagued the party, underscoring the significant electoral stakes at hand.
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