Mapisa-Nqakula must either resign or be recalled by ANC - Holomisa
A report published by the Sunday Times alleged the national speaker received over R2 million in bribes for an SANDF contractor while she was the defence minister.
FILE: Leader of the United Democratic Movement (UDM) Bantu Holomisa speaks during a debate to the possibility of initiating proceedings to remove South African President Cyril Ramaphosa from office, at a parliamentary session in Cape Town on December 13, 2022. Picture: Gianluigi Guercia / AFP
CAPE TOWN - United Democratic Front leader Bantu Holomisa says the Speaker of Parliament, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, should either resign or the African National Congress should recall her in light of corruption allegations against her.
The Sunday Times reported that Mapisa-Nqakula received more than R2 million in bribes for a South African National Defence Force contractor during her tenure as the minister of defence.
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Holomisa originally brought these complaints to Parliament in 2021, but the Parliament's joint defence committee said it couldn't investigate fully at the time based on the anonymity of the source of the evidence.
As the former Defence Minister between 2014 and 2021, Mapisa-Nqakula was no stranger to controversy.
In 2020, Parliament’s joint defence committee investigated her for allowing ANC officials to travel on an Airforce jet to Zimbabwe.
She was reprimanded by President Cyril Ramaphosa and sanctioned three months’ salary.
A year later, the Democratic Alliance’s Kobus Marais served on the subcommittee probing the same corruption allegations against Mapisa-Nqakula, which are now said to form part of a criminal investigation.
“Based on the anonymous allegations that we must do an investigation and find out whether there’s evidence, and that was just too difficult at that stage.”
Holomisa said it was time for Mapisa-Nqakula to go.
“We are sick and tired of these top echelons people who are not disciplined or charged.”
On Monday, Mapisa-Nqakula denied the allegations, saying throughout her public service career, she always upheld the highest standards of integrity and ethical conduct.