Pressure mounts on Mapisa-Nqakula to vacate her seat amid corruption allegations

CAPE TOWN - Pressure continues to mount on National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula to vacate her seat as head of the legislature in the wake of corruption allegations against her.

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) said reports that she solicited bribes from a defence contractor during her tenure as Defence Minister shows blatant disregard for ethical conduct and the rule of law.

The party said it will also be lodging a complaint against her with parliament’s ethics committee, which is already considering another matter against her, related to the salary of the secretary to parliament.

A year ago the EFF brought the first motion of no confidence against Mapisa-Nqakula over her handling of their protest action during State of the Nation Address (SONA).

But the African National Congress quickly squashed it.

Now both the DA and the EFF said they will ask parliament’s ethics committee to investigate the corruption allegations against her.

In the meantime, the EFF said she should step down.

It said it’s also concerned that law enforcement agencies are not being transparent about their criminal investigations into those in high office.

The EFF believes Mapisa-Nqakula has been used for political expediency to shield President Cyril Ramaphosa from facing parliamentary accountability over the Phala Phala saga.

It said Ramaphosa can’t feign ignorance about the allegations Mapisa-Nqakula is facing.

The Speaker will be in Paris this week leading a parliamentary delegation to the Women’s Speakers’ Summit.

Through her office, she has however declared her innocence and says she will cooperate with any formal investigation.