Mapisa-Nqakula trial: cash withdrawals, coded chats linked to alleged bribes
The corruption trial of former South African defence minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula continues with testimony regarding secret cash withdrawals and coded WhatsApp messages. Investigators allege these transactions were part of a money laundering scheme involving lucrative defence contracts.
Why it matters
The trial highlights significant issues of government corruption and the misuse of public funds in South Africa's defence sector.
Secret codewords, stacks of cash and a trail of WhatsApp messages have taken centre stage in the corruption and money laundering trial of former defence minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula.
On Thursday, the chief financial investigator for the Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (Idac), Wynand Wessels, told the Gauteng high court in Pretoria that significant cash withdrawals were made from defence contractor Nombasa Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu’s FNB account around the time she allegedly delivered cash bribe payments to Mapisa-Nqakula.
Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu is the state’s key witness in Mapisa-Nqakula’s corruption and money laundering trial. She alleges that between 2016 and 2019, Mapisa-Nqakula solicited and accepted millions of rands in bribes to secure and protect lucrative defence logistics contracts.
Mapisa-Nqakula faces 12 counts of corruption and one of money laundering for allegedly soliciting R4.5m in bribes and benefits, of which R2.1m was paid in cash. She has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
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