Developing story: this report will be updated as the Pretoria High Court proceedings unfold.
The corruption trial of former National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula is set to resume at the Pretoria High Court on Wednesday morning, with an arrest warrant issued after her last missed court date still held over.
Mapisa-Nqakula faces charges of corruption and money laundering. She denies the allegations and is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
What the State alleges
The State alleges that Mapisa-Nqakula solicited R4.5 million in corrupt payments from Nombasa Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu, a contractor to the South African National Defence Force (SANDF). The alleged conduct dates back to 2016, when Mapisa-Nqakula was Defence Minister.
According to the State's case, she allegedly pocketed R2.2 million of the R4.5 million.
Where the trial stands
The trial paused in October because of the availability of the lawyers involved. At that point Mapisa-Nqakula was under cross-examination by prosecutors, and that cross-examination is expected to continue when proceedings resume.
She did not appear at her last court date. Her lawyers presented a sick note saying she was unwell, but the court still issued an arrest warrant. The warrant was held over until her next appearance, which is today.
What to watch today
- Whether Mapisa-Nqakula is in court, and whether the court ends the stay on the arrest warrant.
- Whether cross-examination by the prosecution resumes where it left off.
- Any new trial dates set by the court.
What we do not yet know
At the time of writing, no outcome from today's session was available. The court has not yet said how it will treat the earlier sick note, and we have not seen the full charge sheet. Details above are drawn from a single account of the case and will be confirmed against court records.
