Former National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula is expected to make her first appearance in the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court on Thursday.
Mapisa-Nqakula handed herself over to the police at the Lyttelton Police Station in Tshwane early on Thursday morning after the Pretoria High Court dismissed her application to block her arrest for corruption allegations on Tuesday. The speaker will be appearing in court for a formal bail application.
During court proceedings last month, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) stated that it would ask for a “substantial amount” of bail for Mapisa-Nqakula to ensure that she does not abscond.
[ Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula Hands Herself Over To Police, Watch ]
In the court papers, Investigating Directorate (ID) Deputy Director Bheki Manyathi said that the state will not oppose bail for Mapisa-Nqakula, but it will be a “substantial amount.”
Manyathi explained, “I have made it clear to the applicant’s legal representative, Stephen May, that the state will not oppose bail. However, it is still imperative that the applicant be processed so that her matter is enrolled for trial.
“I also stated that one of the important factors is that we require the court to set a substantial amount of bail that will act as an incentive for her not to abscond, as opposed to a summons that does not pose any monetary loss in the event of absconding.”
Mapisa-Nqakula is set to face charges of 12 counts of corruption involving R4.5 million, dating back to when she was the Defense Minister. These allegations first came to light in 2021 when United Democratic Movement leader Bantu Holomisa raised the matter in Parliament.
The Hawks, acting on behalf of the NPA’s Investigative Directorate (ID), raided Mapisa-Nqakula’s home in Johannesburg last month in connection with the corruption allegations.
In a letter to Acting Speaker of the National Assembly Lechesa Tsenoli, Mapisa-Nqakula announced her resignation as Speaker of Parliament on Wednesday evening. The resignation is effective immediately.
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