The speaker of the National Assembly, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula. (Photo by Gallo Images/Brenton Geach)
The speaker of the National Assembly, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, will be charged with corruption and money laundering worth more than R4 million after her arrest, which is expected on Friday.
Several senior investigators and a government official told the Mail & Guardian that Mapisa-Nqakula allegedly solicited and received “gratification” from one businessperson during her nine-year tenure as the defence and military veterans minister.
Two sources close to the investigation said plans for the speaker’s arrest began about three weeks ago, while she was attending the 2024 Women Speakers’ Summit on 6 and 7 March in Paris, France.
A senior government official confirmed that her arrest was expected on Friday. Mapisa-Nqakula would have been arrested on Thursday had it not been a public holiday, the official added.
The Investigating Directorate, a division of the National Prosecuting Authority that is empowered to investigate and prosecute high-level and complex corruption, is handling Mapisa-Nqakula’s case.
“A draft charge sheet has been prepared, and she will be charged with corruption and money laundering after receiving more than R4 million from a businessperson. She has agreed to hand herself over to the police [in Pretoria], where she will be arrested and taken to the magistrate’s court to be charged,” said a source, who asked to remain anonymous.
The speaker’s expected arrest follows a raid on her Johannesburg house on Monday authorised by the directorate.
On 3 March, the Sunday Times reported that Mapisa-Nqakula faced an investigation for allegedly receiving millions of rand “in cash bribes” from a South African National Defence Force contractor during her ministerial tenure.
The speaker did not answer her phone or respond to detailed questions sent by the M&G on Thursday. This article will be updated with her comments when she responds.
One investigator said the state will have a strong case against Mapisa-Nqakula after she is charged, including phone records of her conversations with the defence force contractor.
“It would be best for her to take a guilty plea because investigators have detailed text messages and phone records from telecommunications companies showing contact between the speaker and the businessperson,” an insider said.
It is not yet known whether the contractor will be charged with Mapisa-Nqakula, or whether the businessperson will cooperate with the state, as they have been invited to do, the insider added.
On Tuesday, a parliament statement said the speaker “steadfastly upholds her strong conviction of innocence, and reaffirms that she has nothing to hide”.
“In line with this, she has welcomed investigators into her home, cooperating fully during the extensive search that lasted over five hours,” it stated.
“Corruption poses a significant threat to the principles of democracy and good governance, and fundamentally contradicts everything the speaker represents.”
The Democratic Alliance (DA) said Mapisa-Nqakula should resign as the speaker because the position envisioned someone who “upholds the dignity and good name of the House”.
“The seriousness of the allegations against the speaker raises significant doubts about her ability to fulfil this crucial role,” the DA said.