The ex-parliament speaker of South Africa was apprehended on Thursday as part of a corruption investigation, marking the latest scandal to rock the African National Congress (ANC) party just ahead of May’s elections.
Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, who resigned from her speaker position on Wednesday, surrendered herself to police near Pretoria and was formally taken into custody, according to prosecutors.
Henry Mamothame, a spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority, stated that the ANC veteran was set to appear before a judge to face charges of corruption and money laundering.
“She’s appearing at the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court,” Mamothame confirmed.
The timing of the arrest, occurring less than two months before the national elections, further compounds the challenges facing the ANC, which has been grappling with declining support in opinion polls amidst economic struggles and allegations of corruption within its ranks.
Mapisa-Nqakula is accused of soliciting substantial bribes from a former military contractor during her tenure as defense minister, allegations she vehemently denies.
In her resignation letter tendered on Wednesday, she maintained her innocence but expressed her decision to step down from her roles as speaker and lawmaker immediately to preserve the integrity of parliament and allow for a thorough investigation.
Following her resignation, the Democratic Alliance, the main opposition party, called for an urgent election of a new speaker.
Mapisa-Nqakula, who served as defense minister from 2014 to 2021 before assuming the speaker’s position, faced criticism for her handling of violent unrest during her tenure as minister.
South Africa’s upcoming national and provincial elections on May 29 are expected to pose a significant challenge for the ANC, potentially leading to a drop in its share of the vote below 50 percent for the first time since the country’s transition to democracy in 1994, which could necessitate forming a coalition government with rival parties to retain power.
