The SPEAKER of the South African Parliament Ms. Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula resigned from her position after losing an application to prevent her arrest due to corruption allegations.
On Wednesday, the police arrived at her house to investigate, as part of the corruption investigation against her. However, they did not provide details about the investigation or the allegations.
Ms Mapisa-Nqakula, 67, is accused of calling for bribes to award contracts when she was the defense minister.
She is facing several allegations of asking for a bribe of Sh15.6 million from the owner of a company in the country in order to obtain a tender to export military equipment to South Africa from other countries.
The veteran anti-apartheid activist was appointed speaker in 2021. Prior to that, she served as defense minister for seven years. Ms Mapisa denied the allegations, stating that her resignation did not mean she was guilt.
According to her, the charges are serious and she cannot continue in that role. The resignation is effective immediately, along with leaving the job as a member of parliament.
Last week, Mapisa-Nqakula’s lawyers filed an application to prevent the arrest, saying it would defame her.
On Tuesday, the court rejected the request, on the grounds that the matter was not urgent and they could not speculate on the arrest that has not yet taken place.
Her resignation comes ahead of next month’s general election, which some believe could prove difficult for the ruling African National Congress (ANC).
The party, which has been in power since 1994, has been facing frequent accusations of corruption and misappropriation of public funds, which has become the main issue of the election.
