Former Parliament Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula Granted R50,000 Bail, South Africans Disappointed

• Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula has been granted R50,000 bail as she faces 12 charges relating to money laundering and corruption
• A tearful Mapisa-Nqakula sat and listened to her lawyers argue her merits for bail and the conditions she fulfilled to be given bail
• She was granted bail, and South Africans were disappointed in the criminal justice system and how she was not remanded

With nine years' experience, Tebogo Mokwena, a current affairs writer for Briefly News, provided insights into the criminal justice system and high-profile cases in South Africa at Daily Sun. Do you have a hard news story you would like to share? Email tebogo.mokwena@briefly.co.za with CA in the subject line.

PRETORIA – Former Speaker of Parliament Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula has been granted R50,000 bail as she faces charges for allegedly receiving R2.3 million in bribery money.

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Mapisa-Nqakula granted bail

@chriseldalewis posted a tweet on X, announcing that she had been granted bail after appearing before the Pretoria Magistrates Court on 4 April. Mapisa-Nqakula was also willing to surrender her passport as part of her bail application and was ordered not to contact witnesses. Her legal team argued that she is not a flight risk and that her age is a factor that must be taken into consideration.

The State argued that because she allegedly received over R2 million in bribery money, it is only fair that she be given bail of R100,000. The former Madame Speaker's lawyer argued that R50,000 was what she could afford. View the tweet here:

What you need to know about Mapisa-Nqakula's case

• Mapisa-Nqakula's house was raided by the police after the National Prosecuting Authority granted a search-and-seize order
• She vainly tried to fight her arrest warrant from being issued and failed
• She then conceded and handed herself over at the Lyttleton Police Station on 4 April

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South Africans disappointed

Netizens were disappointed that she was not remanded in custody.

Sesi Mokgaetje said:

“Girl left her house, handed herself over and immediately appeared at court. Same day, the bail has been approved. We are not equal before the law. She is dealing with her case in her own way.”

Cydney Mission Small-king said:

“Her snake will give her money.”

Ndebele Sibu said:

“She must sleep in prison.”

Maverick said:

“The face of corruption.”

Gustavo said:

“This should be interesting.”

Mapisa-Nqakula said she was too old to go to jail

Similarly, Briefly News reported that Mapisa-Nqakula's legal team argued that she was too old to go to jail.

Her team argued that the court, which heard her urgent application to block her arrest warrant, should consider her age. South Africans were unmoved and demanded that she be arrested.

Source: Briefly News