Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula Corruption Trial: Witness Testimony Crucial

• Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula faces 12 counts of corruption and one count of money laundering.
• Businesswoman Nombasa Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu claims she paid the former minister R4.5-million in bribes between 2016 and 2019.
• Retired Major General Noel Ndhlovu says he only discovered the alleged payments in 2017 and told his wife to stop making them.
• The trial has significant implications for defence contracting and procurement processes in South Africa.

The corruption trial of former Speaker of the National Assembly, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, has entered its latest phase, with retired Major General Noel Ndhlovu taking the witness stand for a second time. Ndhlovu's testimony is crucial to the prosecution's case, as his wife, businesswoman Nombasa Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu, claims she paid Mapisa-Nqakula R4.5-million in bribes between 2016 and 2019 while serving as Defence Minister. The alleged payments are linked to defence contracts awarded to Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu's company. According to Ndhlovu, he only discovered the alleged payments in 2017 and immediately told his wife to stop making them. However, his wife later testified that she made several more payments after their conversation, raising questions about Ndhlovu's knowledge of the alleged bribes.

Mapisa-Nqakula faces 12 counts of corruption and one count of money laundering. The prosecution alleges that Mapisa-Nqakula used her position as Defence Minister to demand and receive bribes from defence contractors, including Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu's company. The court has heard testimony about a meeting involving President Cyril Ramaphosa, former South African National Defence Force chief General Solly Shoke, and Mapisa-Nqakula, in which it is alleged that Mapisa-Nqakula demanded R2-million to secure the appointment of her husband as Surgeon General. Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu claims she refused to pay the bribe, but the court has heard that her husband's promotion was ultimately blocked by General Shoke.

The trial has significant implications for defence contracting and procurement processes in South Africa. The allegations of corruption and bribery raise questions about the integrity of these processes and the potential for reputational damage to companies involved in defence contracts. Lawyers and compliance officers should be paying close attention to the trial's outcome, as it may have far-reaching consequences for the industry. The trial also highlights the importance of transparency and accountability in government contracting, particularly in sensitive areas such as national security.

Lawyers and compliance officers should watch for potential implications of this trial on defence contracting and procurement processes in South Africa, including the risk of reputational damage to companies involved in defence contracts.

Source: Original reporting via AllAfrica SA