The embattled Speaker of the National Assembly, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, allegedly received bribes in cash amounting to R2.5-million and other gratifications.
According to an affidavit the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) filed in the high court, these rewards included a wig from businesswoman Nombasa Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu.
Mapisa-Nqakula also allegedly received an additional R2-million bribe in hard cash from another person whose identity has not yet been revealed.
In order to allow Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu to testify as a state witness against Mapisa-Nqakula in court, the NPA offered her Section 204 early this year.
SANDF contracts worth about R210m
Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu‘s company, Umkhombe Marine, was awarded contracts worth about R210-million by the South African National Defence Force (SANDF).
Mapisa-Nqakula was a defence minister between June 2012 and August 2021, when she was appointed as the speaker of the National Assembly, the third-highest position in government.
In response to Mapisa-Nqakula’s urgent interdict, which prevented the law-enforcement agencies from arresting her last week, NPA advocate Bheki Manyathi filed an explosive affidavit at the Pretoria High Court.
Manyathi stated that Mapisa-Nqakula is facing 12 criminal charges after she allegedly received R2.5-million in bribes in hard cash from Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu.
Millions delivered in hard cash
According to Manyathi’s affidavit, R2-million was delivered in cash at Mapisa-Nqakula’s house in Bruma, east of Johannesburg, on September 6 2018, but was not paid by Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu.
Other bribes, according to Manyathi, include R300 000 and “a wig” that were delivered to Mapisa-Nqakula at OR Tambo International Airport on February 10 2019.
Manyathi, in his affidavit, also stated that “beside the whistleblower’s affidavit, there is ample independent evidence that corroborates the witness who allegedly gave the gratifications to the applicant”.
“The wig was recovered during the lawful search at her residence,” Manyathi wrote.
“The total amount in cash that was given to the applicant was R2 550 000. The R2-million was asked for by the applicant but was not paid by the witness.”
Expensive handbags confiscated
It is also reported that expensive handbags were also taken from Mapisa-Nqakula’s house during the raid on Tuesday.
The law-enforcement agencies, according to their search-and-seizure warrant, were also looking for a “brown bear skin with claws”, whose connection to the case has not yet been explained.
The matter is in court today, where the NPA would argue that Mapisa-Nqakula’s interdict to prevent her impending arrest should be dismissed.
Mapisa-Nqakula announced on Thursday that she was taking a special leave from parliament to fight the case and clear her name.
