Johannesburg – South Africa’s former parliament speaker was arrested on Thursday as part of a graft inquiry, the latest scandal to hit the governing ANC party ahead of elections in May.
Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, who resigned her speaker post on Wednesday, was formally detained after handing herself in to police near Pretoria, prosecutors said.
The ANC veteran was due to appear before a judge and be formally charged with corruption and money laundering, Henry Mamothame, a spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority, confirmed to AFP.
“She’s appearing at the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court,” Mamothame said.
Mapisa-Nqakula is accused of soliciting hefty amounts in bribes from a former military contractor during her previous tenure as defence minister. She denies the allegations.
#MapisaNqakula Former DP Baleka Mbete’s Presidential Convoy that had driven in has just left after spending over 30 minutes in the police station. Mbete was here to show support and solidarity to her comrade & friend. #sabcnews https://t.co/cJLCELVj8v pic.twitter.com/iEIbTD7ybd
— #LordOfTheMedia (@samkelemaseko) April 4, 2024
On Wednesday, she resigned as speaker and a lawmaker with immediate effect.
In a resignation letter she maintained her innocence but said she had decided to step down to uphold the integrity of parliament and focus on the investigation against her.
The move came a day after she lost a court bid to prevent her possible arrest.
Coming just under two months before national elections, the case has added to the woes of the ANC, which is struggling in opinion polls amid a weak economy and accusations of official graft and mismanagement.
The party is expected to see its share of the vote drop below 50 percent for the first time since the advent of democracy in 1994 in May, potentially forcing it to form a coalition with rival parties to remain in power.
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Source: AFP
Picture: X/@Am_Blujay
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