The Speaker of The National Assembly Faces Corruption Charges

Picture courtesy: Parliament of RSA X image- National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula.

Masego Mosip

National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula faces serious corruption allegations for soliciting millions of rands in bribes. And, she decided to take a special leave with immediate effect. It is alleged that the Speaker faces charges of receiving and soliciting R2.3 million in bribes from Umkhombe Marine, a company that is responsible for transportation of the South African National Defence Force(SANDF) military cargo internationally.

These revelations came after the owner of the freight and logistics company, Nombasa Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu made this allegations in a sworn affidavit with the company having benefited R120 million in SANDF tenders in 2019. The allegations led to the speaker’s home being raided on Monday 18th of March 2024, by the Investigative Directorate of the National Prosecution Authority.

It is also alleged that she took bribes amounting R5 million from a defence contractor while she was a Minister of Defence. It is also alleged that she blew R7 million in State money on aircrafts and world class hotels internationally. With Ramaphosa’s administration known for it’s fight against corruption, little is known why she was elected as the National Assembly Speaker with all those allegations and investigations lurking.

Other allegations against Nqakula include the smuggling of her late son’s Burundi girlfriend into the country, back in 2014 using a defense force aircraft. While over the years she has continued to rise within the ranks of the ruling African National Congress and held prominent positions after the other, if these allegations were proven to be true, the ANC’s reputation is in limbo.

After not showing up for work on Tuesday after her home was raided, she took a special leave with immediately effect and canceled plans of the international trip to Geneva, Switzerland for the 148th Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) assembly. Her decision has been widely welcomed by parties including the Democratic Alliance (DA) and United Democratic Movement (UDM) with its leader Bantu Holomisa having been at the forefront of the 2021 investigations.The ANC has released a statement of welcoming the Speaker’s decision and enforcing a step aside, with the National Assembly Speaker expected to hand herself in to the police on today, Friday the 22nd.