Former Defence Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa Nqakula Under Investigation for Corruption
- The ANC's candidate for the Speaker of National Assembly Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula is being investigated for corruption
- It is alleged that Mapisa-Nqakula received very expensive gifts from a company contracted by the department of defence as bribes
- Mapisa-Nqakula has also been heavily criticised for using state resources and flying members of the ANC to Zimbabwe
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JOHANNESBURG - As Members of Assembly took a vote to elect the new Speaker of Parliament on Thursday, corruption allegations against former Minister of Defence Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula during her tenure are mounting.
According to News24, two months ago, a task team to investigate the damning allegations of corruption was appointed by the Joint Standing Committee of Parliament.
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Mapisa-Nqakula is being accused of taking kickbacks and receiving very expensive gifts that include luxury bags that reportedly amount to R5 million from a contractor that was appointed by the department of defence.
The former minister is also accused of spending a whopping R7 million on chartering aircraft and luxurious hotel stays.
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In the middle of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, Mapisa-Nqakula also used the South African National Defence Force's aircraft to fly six members of the African National Congress to Zimbabwe, according to a report by BusinessLIVE.
Mapisa-Nqakula uses her position to bring a Burundian woman to South Africa
In 2016, Mapisa-Nqakula was accused of using state resources to smuggle a friend from Burundi into the Democratic Republic of Congo and later into South Africa. The former Defence Minister at the time stated that the facts of what actually happened were being twisted in the media, according to eNCA.
Mapisa-Nqakula explained that the young woman Michelle Wege would occasionally visit the former minister on various occasions between 2013 and 2014. According to Mapisa-Nqakula, Wege was being abused by her father who confiscated her passport when she tried to move to South Africa.
Mapisa-Nqakula then made arrangements for Wege to gain entry into the DRC using a fake name and documents. She also made arrangements with the South African Embassy in Congo to expect Wege's arrival, however, Wege was arrested in Congo before she could make it to the embassy.
The former minister spoke to Congolese officials who agreed to release Wege and gave her permission to fly to South Africa instead of deporting her back to Congo.
According to Mapisa-Nqakula, Wege would have been able to come to South Africa legally had her father not taken her passport because she had a valid South African visa at the time. She further stated that she had no regrets about helping Wege leave Burundi.
Ex Defence Minister Mapisa-Nqakula is now the ANC's Speaker of Parliament candidate
Briefly News previously reported that former Minister of Defence and Military Veterans Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula has been nominated as the African National Congress' candidate for the Speaker of National Assembly.
The announcement was made by ANC national chairperson Gwede Mantashe at a special party caucus meeting on Tuesday, according to TimesLIVE.
Should Mapisa-Nqakula be elected she will be taking over from the current Minister of Defence Thandi Modise who was appointed as minister by President Cyril Ramaphosa last week. Ramaphosa had indicated that Mapisa-Nqakula would be deployed to a new position.
Source: Briefly News
