South Africa’s parliament speaker resigned on Wednesday and vacated her position in the legislature amid corruption allegations, following a court ruling denying her bid to prevent arrest.
Allegations surfaced last week, with prosecutors planning to charge Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula with corruption, accusing her of accepting approximately $135,000 in bribes from a defense contractor during her tenure as defense minister between December 2016 and July 2019. Another alleged bribe of $105,000 remained unpaid.
In her resignation statement, Mapisa-Nqakula asserted her innocence regarding the accusations but stated her decision to resign was to focus on addressing the investigation by law enforcement agencies. She clarified that her resignation does not imply admission of guilt.
According to South African media reports, she allegedly received over $15,000 and a wig during a meeting at the main international airport in February 2019.
The African National Congress (ANC), Mapisa-Nqakula’s party, faces crucial elections amidst widespread unemployment, increasing poverty, and public outrage over corruption allegations against its leaders. Recent polls suggest a decline in electoral support for the ANC, potentially falling below 50%.
Following her resignation, it remains uncertain whether Mapisa-Nqakula will be arrested or surrender to authorities, as the North Gauteng High Court dismissed her motion to avoid arrest.
