Former parliament speaker, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, appeared before the Pretoria magistrate’s court on Thursday, seeking bail amid facing 12 counts of corruption and one count of money laundering.
After having avoided arrest for almost two weeks, Mapisa-Nqakula handed herself over at the police station in Centurion on Thursday.
This comes after the court rejected her “urgent” application interdicting her arrest earlier this week.
The case, which has garnered significant public attention, has Mapisa-Nqakula vehemently denying the allegations and asserting that the state’s case against her is “weak.”.
In a dramatic courtroom scene, Mapisa-Nqakula’s lawyer, advocate Graham Kerr-Phillip, read out her affidavit, where she asserted her innocence and stated that she was not a flight risk.
She emphasised her intention to cooperate with the legal process and maintained that she voluntarily came to court.
Mapisa-Nqakula questioned the strength of the state’s case, particularly pointing out the reliance on a single witness, a former defence contractor turned state witness.
“This is a malicious prosecution based on weak evidence. I am not aware of witnesses who will be called and won’t make contact with him or her. I have no intention of interfering with this evidence,” she said in an affidavit.
Leaking evidence details
She accused the state of leaking details about the evidence against her to the media and expressed her frustration over the seizure of items from her home, including designer handbags and a wig, which she claimed were unrelated to the case.
The prosecution did not oppose Mapisa-Nqakula’s bail application, acknowledging that there was no reason to believe she would abscond.
However, they refuted her claim that the state’s case was weak, stating that the contents of the docket had not been disclosed yet.
“We cannot say the applicant is not a flight risk; what we can say is that we have no reason to believe there is a risk of her absconding,” said prosecutor Bheki Manyathi.
In response, Kerr-Phillips praised the prosecution team’s professionalism while maintaining his client’s innocence and urging the magistrate to rule on the alleged leaks to the press.
He reiterated Mapisa-Nqakula’s willingness to abide by any bail conditions set by the court, stating that while the prosecution had suggested a R100 000 bail, she could afford to pay R50 000.
Kerr-Phillips emphasises that it must be noted that Mapisa-Ngakula has “dangerous hypertension” and needs continuous medication. This medical condition must be taken into serious consideration when determining bail, he argued.
The courtroom drama unfolded against a backdrop of heightened election tension, with Mapisa-Nqakula hinting at a possible political motive behind her case and the suggestion of invoking the step-aside rule.
Throughout the proceedings, she emphasised her constitutional right to be released on bail and the importance of upholding the principles of justice.
Speaker submits resignation letter
On Wednesday, the former ANC MP tendered her resignation to both the National Assembly and the governing party, resigning from her position as Speaker and as an MP.
Mapisa-Nqakula stated that her resignation does not imply an admission of guilt but rather a commitment to addressing the allegations.
“My resignation is in no way an indication or admission of guilt regarding the allegations being levelled against me,” she said.
Acknowledging the critical role of the National Assembly speaker in the country’s socio-economic reconstruction and development, Mapisa-Nqakula expressed her inability to continue in her role given the gravity of the accusations.
Both the ANC and Parliament acknowledged and accepted her resignation, with Parliament spokesperson Moloto Mothapo confirming that the deputy speaker will fill in the gap.
- This is a developing story
