An elite unit of South Africa’s police conducted a raid on the Johannesburg residence of the speaker of parliament, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, in response to corruption allegations.
According to BBC reports, Mapisa-Nqakula stands accused of soliciting bribes during her tenure as defense minister in exchange for awarding contracts.
A statement from parliament asserted Mapisa-Nqakula’s “strong conviction of innocence” amidst the allegations.
“The Speaker steadfastly upholds her strong conviction of innocence,” Parliament affirmed in a statement.
The police unit was acting on behalf of state prosecutors who have been carrying out an investigation.
The statement from parliament equally disclosed that the police “conducted a search and seizure procedure” at Ms Mapisa-Nqakula’s residence, adding that she “welcomed the investigators into her home, co-operating fully” during the five-hour search.
The 67-year-old, renowned for her role in the anti-apartheid struggle, assumed the position of speaker in 2021 after serving as defense minister for nine years.
During her time in that post, Ms Mapisa-Nqakula allegedly made several demands for money, amounting to $120,000 (£96,000), from the owner of a company to secure a tender to transport army equipment back to South Africa from elsewhere on the continent, the Business Day newspaper reports.
Allegations suggest that during her time in office, she demanded $120,000 (£96,000) from a company owner to secure a tender for transporting army equipment back to South Africa from elsewhere on the continent, as reported by Business Day newspaper.
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President Cyril Ramaphosa, who took office in 2018 with a commitment to combat corruption, faces ongoing challenges in fulfilling this promise. His predecessor, Jacob Zuma, has consistently denied accusations of orchestrating large-scale misappropriation of state resources.
Parliament revealed that Ms Mapisa-Nqakula herself believes that “corruption poses a significant threat to the principles of democracy and good governance.
“Therefore, she is profoundly disturbed by such allegations,” Parliament added.
The National Prosecuting Authority confirmed the search operation but provided no further details on potential charges or timelines for legal proceedings.
