The once powerful National Assembly speaker of South Africa, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula will appear in the Pretoria magistrate’s court on Thursday‚ the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has confirmed.
Mapisa-Nqakula handed herself over to the Lyttelton police station on Thursday morning.
NPA spokesperson Henry Mamothame confirmed that Mapisa-Nqakula would make her first court appearance at the Pretoria court.
She is accused of taking bribes from a contractor during her tenure as defence minister. She denies the accusations.
South Africa’s Sunday Times reported in March that the Independent Directorate (ID) was investigating the speaker in connection with allegations that she was paid millions in cash bribes by a defence force contractor.
The investigation found she allegedly received R2.3m in cash delivered in gift bags by defence businessperson Nombasa Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu‚ who is married to a general in the military health service.
Mapisa-Nqakula bowed to pressure by resigning from her position and as an MP on Wednesday.
In a statement issued in the name of her political adviser, Mike Ramagoma‚ Mapisa-Nqakula said she had submitted her resignation letter to her deputy‚ Lechesa Tsenoli‚ resigning with immediate effect.
Mapisa-Nqakula maintained her innocence‚ saying she was determined to restore her “good reputation”.
This week Mapisa-Nqakula’s urgent application to interdict law-enforcement authorities from arresting her was struck off the roll.
