Mapisa‑Nqakula fights to ditch R4.5m bribery charges
The State closed its case earlier this month after presenting evidence for two weeks.
Former South African defence minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula plans to seek dismissal of the R4.5 million bribery charges against her in the Gauteng High Court. The corruption and money-laundering trial resumes on Thursday, 20 August 2026. The prosecution rested its case earlier this month after presenting evidence over two weeks.
Mapisa-Nqakula faces 12 counts of corruption and money laundering, with the state alleging she solicited R4.55 million in bribes from SANDF contractor Nombasa Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu between December 2016 and July 2019. Mapisa-Nqakula's legal counsel, Siyabulela Mapoma SC, informed the court that the defence intends to file a Section 174 application for discharge.
If the application is successful, Mapisa-Nqakula will be acquitted at the conclusion of the prosecution's case, avoiding the need to present a defence or testify as a witness. However, should the application be rejected, the trial will proceed with the defence expected to present witnesses and potentially have Mapisa-Nqakula testify under cross-examination.
Mapisa-Nqakula's alleged offenses span her tenure as defence minister from June 2012 to August 2021, with the case launched following a criminal complaint by UDM leader and Deputy Defence Minister Bantu Holomisa after her arrest in April 2024.
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