‘What was so special about the wig?’ State asks Mapisa-Nqakula in corruption trial

Former National Assembly speaker and defence minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula faced the High Court in Pretoria on Tuesday, where prosecutors questioned her insistence on a wig from service provider Nombasa Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu. This came after the court dismissed Mapisa-Nqakula's application for discharge under section 174 of the Criminal Procedure Act, allowing her corruption trial to proceed.

Mapisa-Nqakula, who resigned from her positions in April 2024, is facing 12 counts of corruption and one count of money laundering, accused of receiving R4.5 million, with R2.1 million allegedly received in cash from Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu between December 2016 and July 2019. The two are alleged to have used sangoma terms as codewords for money, including "wig" and "padlock."

During her testimony, Mapisa-Nqakula claimed she complimented Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu's wig, stating she liked its lightness and bob cut style. However, prosecutors asked, "What was so special about the wig?" Mapisa-Nqakula said wigs are different, emphasizing she wanted a specific style, but her former associate maintained she was wearing a weave, not a wig.