“South Africa: Investigators Raid Home of Parliament Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula”

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"South Africa: Investigators Raid Home of Parliament Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula"

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An elite unit of South Africa’s police conducted a raid on the Johannesburg residence of Parliament’s Speaker, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, following corruption allegations against her.

Mapisa-Nqakula stands accused of allegedly soliciting bribes in exchange for awarding contracts during her tenure as the Minister of Defence.

In response to the allegations, a statement from Parliament affirmed Mapisa-Nqakula’s unwavering assertion of innocence.

The police unit executed the raid on behalf of state prosecutors, who have been conducting an ongoing investigation into the matter.

According to the parliamentary statement, the police conducted a thorough search and seizure operation at Mapisa-Nqakula’s residence. It noted that she welcomed the investigators into her home and cooperated fully during the five-hour search.

Mapisa-Nqakula, a 67-year-old veteran of the anti-apartheid struggle, assumed the role of Speaker in 2021 after serving as the Minister of Defence for nine years.

Allegations against her suggest that during her tenure as Defence Minister, she purportedly demanded money totaling $120,000 (£96,000) from a company owner to secure a tender for transporting army equipment back to South Africa from other parts of the continent, as reported by the Business Day newspaper.

President Cyril Ramaphosa, who took office in 2018, vowed to combat corruption in South Africa. His predecessor, Jacob Zuma, faced accusations of presiding over extensive efforts to misappropriate state resources, which he denies.

Mapisa-Nqakula herself recognizes the grave threat that corruption poses to the principles of democracy and good governance, as stated by Parliament. She expressed profound distress over the allegations made against her.

The National Prosecuting Authority confirmed the search operation in a brief statement but did not provide further details regarding the timing of potential charges.