- Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, the speaker of the South African parliament, is about to be arrested on corruption accusations after her request for a judicial injunction was denied. The country’s former defense minister, Mapisa-Nqakula, is charged with accepting bribes totaling $135,000 and trying to get an extra $105,000 from a defense contractor while serving in that capacity. $135,000 in transactions are the subject of the legal charges, and they are purportedly paid to Mapisa-Nqakula between December 2016 and July 2019. She is also accused of requesting an additional $105,000 in bribes, which the prosecution claims she never got.
- In the face of these grave accusations, pressure from opposition lawmakers in parliament has increased, calling for her resignation from her powerful position as speaker. The North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria dismissed Mapisa-Nqakula’s urgent legal petition to prevent her detention, which was made public last week. Following the verdict, Mthunzi Mhaga, a spokeswoman for the National Prosecuting Authority, talked to the media and said that an arrest will happen shortly but gave no timeframe. He said that the planned apprehension will be carried out without a hitch and that the court would not need to get involved.
- As the African National Congress struggles to prepare for the arduous national elections, Mapisa-Nqakula stands in for another prominent member who is accused of corruption. This case intensifies the accusations of corruption already present inside the African National Congress, just as the party prepares for national elections in which it may see major electoral obstacles for the first time since assuming power in 1994. An important turning point in South Africa’s ongoing fight against political corruption has been reached with the rejection of Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula’s court injunction and her impending arrest. This shows how the country is continuing to fight for the rule of law in the face of mounting political unpredictability and difficulties facing the ruling party.
Source:
The UBJ
