The High Court in Pretoria is set to hear the urgent application of National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula seeking to interdict police from arresting her.
Last week, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) conducted a raid at her Johannesburg home in search of evidence related to alleged corruption. Mapisa-Nqakula is accused of soliciting a R2.3 million bribe from a contractor during her tenure as Minister of Defence.
Having transitioned to the role of Speaker in 2021 from her ministerial position, Mapisa-Nqakula’s application is regarded by the NPA’s Advocate Mthunzi Mhaga as lacking substance.
Mhaga says, “On Monday 25 March 2024 at 10 o’clock, the Gauteng Division of the High Court, Pretoria will hear an urgent application by the Speaker of Parliament wherein she is seeking an order interdicting NPA’s ID from arresting her. We believe the NPA’s ID will oppose the application as we believe it is baseless and has no merit and therefore should be dismissed.”
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Legal expert Nthabiseng Dubaza suggests that the application filed by Mapisa-Nqakula’s legal team to obtain the docket related to her case is unlikely to be granted.
The High Court in Pretoria will hear the case today. Mapisa-Nqakula’s legal representatives have submitted an urgent application aiming to prevent her arrest and acquire all information regarding the charges against her, including the entire case docket, to prepare her defense.
Dubaza remarks that Mapisa-Nqakula’s preemptive move with the application may be premature.
Dubaza says, “She ought to have waited for her to know what the exact charge was and then acted on that. Because what the investigating officer is probably telling her on the charge, once it gets in the hands of the Director of Public Prosecutions, he will look at the merits of the matter and probably change it at the end of the day. That happens more often than not. So, if it’s a success, I’ll be very surprised.”
Mapisa-Nqakula launches an urgent court interdict to prevent her arrest
