By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The speaker of the National Assembly, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, will be charged with corruption and money laundering after her arrest, which is expected on Friday.
Fullview understands her arrest talks began about three weeks ago, while she was attending the 2024 Women Speakers’ Summit on 6 and 7 March in Paris, France.
“A draft indictment has been prepared, and she will be charged with corruption and money laundering after receiving more than R4 million from a businessman. She has agreed to hand herself to the police [ in Pretoria], where she will be arrested and taken to court to be charged,” a source said.
Our source added that, the state will have a strong case against her once indicted, including phone records of her conversations with the defense contractor.
During her time as a minister of Defence, Mapisa-Nqakula allegedly made several demands for money, from the owner of a company to secure a tender to transport army equipment back to South Africa.
The accusations against Mapisa-Nqakula were made in a sworn affidavit submitted to the Investigative Directorate by Nombasa Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu, the owner of Umkhombe Marine.
The freight and logistics company reportedly scored R210 million in SANDF tenders in 2019, while the businesswoman was married to the military health services’ deputy surgeon-general, Noel Ndhlovu.
Umkhombe Marine transported SANDF cargo across the continent to military missions.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) said it welcomed the reports that the speaker will be arrested.
DA Chief Whip Siviwe Gwarube said the law enforcement agencies must act swiftly.
A corruption complaint against her could be considered by Parliament’s joint committee on ethics and members’ interests on Monday
Mapisa-Nqakula is also facing a complaint before Parliament’s powers and privileges committee regarding the salary hike for the secretary to Parliament.
It’s unlikely either of these cases will advance significantly before the house rises at the end of March.
Mapisa-Nqakula also does not appear on the African National Congress’ candidate lists to return to Parliament after the elections, which would render the investigations being continued by the seventh administration moot.
Meanwhile Mapisa-Nqakula is set to lead a multi-party delegation to the 148th Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Assembly trip to Geneva in Switzerland.
The IPU Assembly would convene under the banner of: “Parliamentary Diplomacy: Building Bridges for Peace and Understanding” between 23-27 March.
Parliamentary spokesperson Moloto Mothapo said the delegation would participate in various meetings of the Standing Committees and related meetings, including a meeting on Friday, of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and Africa Geopolitical Group.
Other scheduled meetings included those of various IPU parliamentary bodies on conflict situations, such as the peaceful resolution of the war in Ukraine and the conflict in Gaza with its disastrous humanitarian consequences, Mothapo said.