Cape Town – The National Assembly speaker, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, is accused of receiving bribes amounting to R2.3 million from a South African National Defence Force (SANDF) contractor, Umkhombe Marine, during her tenure as the minister of defence, reports said on Sunday.
The allegations surfaced in a sworn affidavit submitted to the Investigative Directorate by Nombasa Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu, the owner of Umkhombe Marine, The Citizen reported.
UDM leader Bantu Holomisa says the National Assembly Speaker, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula must resign or parliament’s impeachment processes must
start, following allegations of R2.3m SANDF contractor bribes from her time while she was Defence Minister.Watch: https://t.co/MR2hmYXK8a pic.twitter.com/bMiDN48buB
— Newzroom Afrika (@Newzroom405) March 3, 2024
Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu claims to have given cash to Mapisa-Nqakula on ten occasions between November 2016 and July 2019, facilitated by the late secretary of defence, Sam Gulube, The Sunday Times said.
Umkhombe Marine had reportedly secured R210 million SANDF tenders in 2019.
Mapisa-Nqakula is currently under investigation, but she denies awareness of the probe.
“If that is what you are saying, [that] I am being investigated, I expect that I will be questioned by the directorate and if I am being charged I will be taken to court. And then I will speak for myself,” Mapisa-Nqakula was quoted as saying.
She, however, admitted she knew Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu.
“I have met her,” she said.
The alleged bribes are being looked into, though the head of the Investigative Directorate.
Mapisa-Nqakula, now the speaker of Parliament, was removed from the Cabinet following the July 2021 unrest, criticised for the Justice, Crime Prevention, and Security Cluster’s handling of the situation.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
