Mapisa-Nqakula trial: ‘Chinese wall’ collapses as army man admits sharing work info with wife
In the corruption trial of former minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, defense counsel challenged the testimony of Noel Ndhlovu regarding his alleged sharing of confidential work documents with his wife. Ndhlovu admitted to providing official SANDF documents to his wife, who is a key state witness in the case.
Why it matters
The testimony highlights potential breaches of security protocols within the military and impacts the credibility of a key witness in a high-profile corruption case.
Advocate Siyabulela Mapoma SC, the defence counsel for former defence and military veterans minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula , has challenged the testimony of former SANDF deputy surgeon-general Noel Ndhlovu.
Ndhlovu testified in the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria on Tuesday, where he faced intense cross-examination regarding his knowledge of his wife’s business dealings.
Mapoma disputed Ndhlovu’s claim that he never shared work-related matters with his wife, Nombasa Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu, who held several military contracts.
Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu is the state’s key witness in the corruption and money laundering case against Mapisa-Nqakula. She alleges that between 2016 and 2019, Mapisa-Nqakula solicited and accepted millions of rand in bribes from her to secure and protect lucrative defence logistics contracts.
On Monday Ndhlovu testified that he and his wife never shared work-related matters and maintained a “Chinese wall” regarding work matters.
Asked if this wall held during the period of the alleged bribes, Ndhlovu insisted it did.
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