South African authorities have recently arrested the National Assembly Speaker, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, on the grounds of multiple corruption charges. The arrest came a day after Mapisa-Nqakula resigned from her position amid an ongoing investigation into corruption and misconduct during her time as South Africa’s defense minister.
After her resignation, Ms. Mapisa-Nqakula surrendered at a police station in Lyttleton, Pretoria, where she was formally charged with twelve counts of corruption and one of money laundering. She was granted bail on a bond of roughly $2,680.
As former Minister of Defense and Military Veterans, the ex-Speaker is accused of having accepted bribes up to an estimated $215,000 from a previous military contractor. This led to a raid of her home by authorities last month.
Mapisa-Nqakula has consistently denied these accusations and emphasized that her resignation shouldn’t be seen as an admission of guilt, but rather a response to the seriousness of the charges and speculation by media outlets. An official statement from the African National Congress (ANC), the party Nosiviwe Mapsia-Nqakula is affiliated with, echoed her sentiment.
The case against the former speaker has been delayed until June 4, and it is confirmed by the ANC that party member Lechesa Tsenoli will continue as acting speaker.
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