The Speaker of the National Assembly, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula is maintaining her innocence in the corruption allegations levelled against her.
Parliament Spokesperson Moloto Mothapo says corruption goes against everything Mapisa-Nqakula stands for.
A subcontractor alleged that she paid the Speaker R2.3 million in bribe money during her tenure as Defence Minister.
Mothapo says the Speaker could not be in the National Assembly on Tuesday to preside over the President’s Question and Answer session, due to the NPA conducting a search and seizure operation at her house.
He says Mapisa-Nqakula cooperated fully with the NPA’s Investigating Directorate during their search.
“But we can confirm that the speaker has cooperated fully opened her home to the investigators, she has cooperated with them for five hours that they were doing their job and that is what we can say at the moment, (is the speaker going to continue in her duties she was not at the NA today) yah no these are allegations and the Speaker of course she could not, she would have wanted to be here, of course, the events of this morning have interrupted her schedule for today and she had to remain there,” says Mothapo.
The contractor who made the allegations, Nombasa Ndhlovu was herself arrested for allegedly defrauding the SANDF of approximately R40 million in 2020. She has been released on bail of R80 000.
Video: NA speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula’s home raided: Adv. Stefanie Fick
‘Not yet time to step aside’
Opposition parties have called on the Speaker to step aside. But the African National Congress (ANC) in parliament has rejected calls for her resignation.
ANC Chief Whip Pemmy Majodina has called for respect for the rule and law enforcement agencies. She says the Hawks should be given time to complete their investigations.
“It is not yet time for her to step aside because there are no criminal charges that have been labeled against her. Let’s allow the speaker to work and we cannot come here and call for step aside. Whoever is bringing that step aside or impeachment, we are not going to support that as the ANC up until the due processes. Even in the ANC, there are due processes. Those who are currently on step aside. I have four members who are on step aside in the ANC who are members of parliament because they were criminally charged.”
