South African parliament speaker takes "special leave" amid corruption allegations

Cape Town [South Africa], March 22: Speaker of the South African National Assembly Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula said on Thursday that she will take "special leave" from her position amid allegations of corruption against her and media speculations of her imminent arrest.
"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 issued on Thursday evening.
"This decision has been communicated to the Secretary of Parliament and to the President of the Republic in his capacity as Head of State," she said.
Media reports have emerged indicating the imminent arrest of Mapisa-Nqakula, following an early morning raid by a special investigations unit on her Johannesburg home on Tuesday. This development is part of an investigation into allegations that she solicited a cash bribe of about 2.3 million rands (about 120,000 U.S. dollars) from a former military contractor during her tenure as Minister of Defense between 2016 and 2019.
"I wish to place it on record, that while the Investigative Directorate of the National Prosecution Authority conducted a search and seizure at my residence, there has been no formal notification of an arrest warrant or communication regarding an imminent arrest for me, neither to me nor my legal team," Mapisa-Nqakula said in the statement.
"My lawyers have, however, proactively informed the National Prosecution Authority of my readiness to comply and cooperate should the need arise," she said.
It was also reported on Thursday that the speaker of the lower house was set to depart on an overseas trip and would be out of the country for a few days.
"Consequently therefore, I will also not be attending the long planned 148th Session of the Inter-Parliamentary Union Assembly taking place in Geneva, Switzerland," she said.
She noted that her decision was meant to protect the integrity of parliament. Additionally, she said that she had informed her party, the African National Congress (ANC), of her decision.
"I hope this statement clarifies my position, reaffirms my commitment to upholding the integrity of my office, and demonstrates my full cooperation with the legal process," she added.
In a separate statement issued on Tuesday responding to the raid, the South African parliament said "the speaker steadfastly upholds her strong conviction of innocence, and reaffirms that she has nothing to hide," adding the search at her residence lasted over five hours.
Neither the parliament nor the National Prosecution Authority provided further details on the investigation or the corruption allegations. It was not clear if any charges would be brought against her.
A 67-year-old veteran of the governing ANC, Mapisa-Nqakula served as South Africa's defense minister from 2012 to 2021.
Source: Xinhua