Corruption case against Mapisa-Nqakula returns to court

JOHANNESBURG - The corruption case of former Parliament Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula returns to the Pretoria Magistrates Court on Tuesday.

Mapisa-Nqakula is charged with 12 counts of corruption and one of money laundering. 

It is alleged that she received over R4.5 million in kickbacks from a defence contractor when she was a defence minister.

She is currently out on R50,000 bail.

The last time this matter sat in court, State prosecutor, Bheki Manyathi, said that police were closing in on a second suspect. 

Manyathi also rebuffed the defence’s assertions that the State's case was weak and relied on the testimony of a single witness that was offered immunity from prosecution for turning on Mapisa-Nqakula. 

Manyathi said that the State had independent, corroborating evidence to support its strong case. 

Meanwhile, Mapisa-Nqakula returns to court with her political career effectively over.

Her bid to get the Department of Defence to pay for her legal fees in this matter was rejected.