By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The corruption case against Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula has been postponed to July 9, when the former speaker will learn of her new date to make her first appearance for trial.
Mapisa-Nqakula appeared in the Pretoria Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday morning.
Speaking to journalists in court, shortly after the court session, the Investigating Directorate (ID) of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said at this stage, Mapisa-Nqakula remains the only accused person in the case.
In the last court appearance, in April, the State placed it on record that the former speaker will appear with a co-accused.
Spokesperson for the ID, Henry Mamothame explained that the evidence before them was not sufficient to pursue any other person.
“We had to engage the evidence before us. Remember it was only one charge of money laundering. After further engagement between our investigators and our prosecution team, the ID decided not to pursue the second accused,” he said.
The Investigative Directorate however insists that it has sufficient evidence to prosecute Mapisa-Nqakula.
“We are here (Pretoria Magistrate’s Court) to serve an indictment and to get a high court date. We feel that the matter has to go to the high court owing to its serious nature,” said Mamothame.
“The 9th of July is for us as the prosecution to liaise with the registrar of the high court and the role coordinator of the DPP’s [director of public prosecution] office to get a high court date. In other words, the 9th of July is a return date for this court.
“We will then have your worship serve Mapisa-Nqakula with an indictment and summons to appear in the high court, and a high court date for appearance will be on the summons.
“So, the 9th of July is not for appearance in the high court,” said Mamothame.
The court has extended Mapisa-Nqakula’s R50,000 bail to July 9 on the same conditions.
The prosecution team stated that charges against Mapisa-Nqakula were 12 counts of corruption under Preca (Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act) and one of money laundering under Poca (Prevention of Organised Crime Act) for soliciting R4.5 million from a defence contractor.
The State’s case is that despite soliciting R4.5 million, Mapisa-Nqakula received R2.5 million and the prosecution told the court that it knows “what the money received was used for”.
The former minister of defence and military veterans was facing multiple charges of corruption, stemming from a high-profile investigation into her affairs when she presided over South Africa’s military.
Meanwhile Sports, arts and culture Minister Zizi Kodwa is set to appear at the Palm Ridge magistrate court on Wednesday facing corruption charges valued at R1.7 million.
In 2020 the commission of inquiry into state capture heard that Kodwa received R375 000 paid by a former executive of South Africa’s largest technology group EOH Holdings.
ENS Forensics managing director Steven Powell claimed Kodwa received the money in eight payments from former EOH public services executive Jehan Mackay.