The police raided the Johannesburg home of the Speaker of South Africa’s National Assembly, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, on Tuesday as part of a probe into alleged corruption during her time as defence minister several years ago.
National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said in a terse statement on Tuesday that members of its Investigating Directorate (ID) searched Mapisa-Nqakula’s house in Johannesburg’s Bruma but did not give further details.
The raid is widely understood to relate to allegations by a former defence contractor that Mapisa-Nqakula had solicited R2.3 million (about US$121,000) in bribes between 2017 and 2019 while she was defence minister.
It followed reports by the weekly Sunday Times that the ID was investigating Mapisa-Nqakula in connection with allegations that she solicited and was paid up to R2.3m in cash, which was delivered in gift bags by defence industry businesswoman Nombasa Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu, the wife of a general in the military health service.
Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu is the alleged whistle-blower.
Mapisa-Nqakula denies the allegations, with Parliament announcing late Tuesday that she believed the raid on her house would help to clear her of any wrongdoing.
“The Speaker steadfastly upholds her strong conviction of innocence and reaffirms that she has nothing to hide,” the South African Parliament said in a statement.
It added: “In line with this, she has welcomed investigators into her home, cooperating fully during the extensive search that lasted over five hours.”
Mapisa-Nqakula was not in the Speaker’s chair during President Cyril Ramaphosa’s final question and answer session in the National Assembly on Tuesday.
JN/APA