Former Speaker of Parliament Nosiviwe Mapisa Nqakula appears at the Pretoria Magistrate's Court. Picture: Oupa Mokoena / Independent Newspapers
Minister of Human Settlements Mmamoloko Kubayi is one of the few senior members of the African National Congress (ANC) and government who have come out in support of former speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula.
While another former speaker Baleka Mbete showed her support to Mapisa-Nqakula in court, Kubayi said they support the ex-speaker.
Mapisa-Nqakula was charged by the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) after a stalemate over her arrest. She lost her bid in the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria.
Kubayi, who has served in government over the last few years and is chairperson of the ANC’s economic transformation committee, said they support the former speaker.
“Wishing you strength mama Nosiviwe as you address the allegations against you,“ said Kubayi.
However, United Democratic Movement (UDM) leader Bantu Holomisa said Mapisa-Nqakula should have handed herself over to the police a long time ago.
Holomisa blew the whistle on Mapisa-Nqakula a few years ago.
“This would not have happened if the UDM had not satisfied itself in 2021 that there was prima facie evidence about allegations that she received several payments totalling over R5 million between 2017 and 2019 from at least one company that had contracts with the South African National Defence Force when she served as Minister of Defence and Military Veterans,” said Holomisa.
He accused the Joint Standing Committee on Defence of failing to take the matter seriously when he reported it to the committee.
Political parties had been calling for the head of Mapisa-Nqakula since it emerged that the NPA’s Investigating Directorate (ID) wanted to arrest her.
The matter ended in the high court.
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