South Africa’s parliament speaker takes ‘special leave’ over corruption probe

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The Speaker of South Africa’s parliament is taking “special leave” and is seeking to avoid arrest over a corruption investigation, two months ahead of a pivotal general election for the country’s governing party.

Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, a veteran of the ruling African National Congress, announced she would step aside two days after investigators from the National Prosecution Authority raided her Johannesburg home. The five-hour search was linked to allegations of corruption during her time as defence minister from 2012 to 2021, the parliament said. 

It is the first time a Speaker has stepped aside since South Africa became a democracy three decades ago, and comes as the ANC risks losing its majority for the first time amid voter anger at high unemployment, corruption and power blackouts.

“Given the seriousness of the allegations and the attendant extensive media speculation, I have decided to take special leave from my position as speaker of the National Assembly, effective immediately,” Mapisa-Nqakula said in a statement.

Mapisa-Nqakula also filed court papers on Friday to try to prevent the state from arresting her, local newspaper Daily Maverick reported.

“This represents quite a seminal moment of accountability in the country,” said Khaya Sithole, an independent analyst. “We’ve never seen it, we never thought we would see it.”

In recent years, the ANC has been dogged by high-profile corruption cases involving some of it its highest-ranking members.

In 2019, a former defence contractor turned whistleblower alleged that Mapisa-Nqakula had solicited R2.3mn in bribes. The case was later dropped by a parliamentary committee, and she has declared her innocence.

The Democratic Alliance, the main opposition party, said “special leave” could only be granted through a parliamentary motion, and it was “untenable” for Mapisa-Nqakula to remain in her post.

“It is enormously damaging to the institution of parliament . . . one of the organs of state charged with ensuring accountability and oversight. Her continued presence in this role compromises parliament’s ability to perform these functions,” DA leader John Steenhuisen told the Financial Times.

Susan Booysen, director of research at the Johannesburg-based Mistra think-tank, said the case against Mapisa-Nqakula had been building for a while, but the timing of the raid benefited the ANC in its attempts to show it was tackling deep-seated corruption.

“But a lot more still needs to be done — the ANC’s candidate list is loaded with corruption-accused individuals,” she added.

The DA filed a motion of no confidence against Mapisa-Nqakula, to be decided before March 28. Last March, she survived a vote of no confidence brought by another opposition party, the Economic Freedom Fighters.