Former Defence Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula took the stand in the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria on Monday, telling the court that she merely raised a contractor’s complaint regarding a withdrawn military tender with senior defence officials.
Mapisa-Nqakula faces 12 counts of corruption and one count of money laundering, stemming from allegations that she solicited and received R4.5 million in bribes — including R2.1 million in cash — from defence service provider Nombasa Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu between December 2016 and July 2019.
Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu testified for the State as an accomplice witness under Section 204 of the Criminal Procedure Act. In terms of the law, an accomplice witness may receive indemnity from prosecution if the court finds that they testified truthfully.
Mapisa-Nqakula, who has pleaded not guilty to the allegations, took the stand in her trial on Monday after the court dismissed a Section 174 discharge application brought by her defence team.
The defence had brought the application seeking Mapisa-Nqakula’s discharge on the basis that the State’s evidence was insufficient to sustain the charges against her.
Judge Mashudu Munzhelele dismissed the Section 174 application as she said that having regard to the totality of the evidence, the State had established a prima facie case.
“Evidence directly implicates the accused in the alleged request for and receipt of gratifications supported in material respect by documentary evidence, financial records, communications, the surrounding circumstances, the evidence accordingly established a prima facie case sufficient to require the accused to answer to the charges.”
Mapisa-Nqakula describes call
Testifying in her defence, Mapisa-Nqakula recalled that she was informed that a woman was having a problem with the SANDF. She directed that her phone number be given to the person.
She later received a call from a distressed Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu, who was “crying and frantic”.
She said the woman reported that an awarded South African National Defence Force (SANDF) tender had been abruptly withdrawn. The former minister testified that she offered reassurance and subsequently raised the matter with the late Secretary for Defence, Dr Sam Gulube, and former SANDF Chief, retired General Solly Shoke.
Mapisa-Nqakula also testified that she later met in person with Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu. The former speaker said she told Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu that she was a traditional healer but she was not practicing and the contractor replied that she was also a traditional healer.
The court has previously heard testimony from Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu that coded language including words commonly used by traditional healers, such as impepho, were allegedly used by herself and the former minister when they were communicating about the alleged bribe money.
The trial continues.