Former National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula broke down in the Pretoria High Court on Monday during her corruption and money-laundering case.
She appeared visibly emotional in the dock, her mouth trembling as the court addressed her, before leaving the courtroom in tears. Judge Papi Mosopa postponed the matter to 21 November 2025 for further proceedings.
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Charges Against Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula
Mapisa-Nqakula faces 12 counts of corruption and one count of money laundering, linked to allegations that she received kickbacks while serving as Defence Minister.
Her lawyer, advocate Graham Kerr-Phillips, confirmed that the defence team only received the docket last week, consisting of 26 files.
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“We are working on a docket we have not finalised. We haven’t perused it fully and would like to review the information provided,” Kerr-Phillips told the court.
The defence has also applied for subpoenas of bank statements, a process expected to take about six weeks, and intends to make representations to the National Director of Public Prosecutions on whether a case exists against Mapisa-Nqakula.
Background to the Allegations
The allegations stem from testimony by Nombasa Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu, director of Umkhombe Marine, a logistics company that conducted business with the South African National Defence Force (SANDF).
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In February 2016, Umkhombe Marine was awarded a contract worth R104 million. However, days later, Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu was informed the contract had been suspended. Seeking answers, she was given Mapisa-Nqakula’s contact details.
According to the indictment, in November 2016, Mapisa-Nqakula allegedly instructed the late Defence Secretary Sam Gulube to approach Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu and solicit R300,000 in cash, which she allegedly handed over a few days later.
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