Pretoria High Court Postpones Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula Corruption Case to July 2026
Pretoria – The Gauteng High Court in Pretoria has put off the corruption trial of former National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula until 20 July 2026. She showed up in court on Friday, 21 November 2025, facing 12 counts of corruption and one of money laundering. These charges come from her time as Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, where she is accused of asking for and taking kickbacks from a defence contractor. The case has dragged on since her arrest in April 2024, with several delays for legal steps and reviews. Her new lawyer said she will not send any more pleas to the National Director of Public Prosecutions and is ready to go to trial. Her R50,000 bail has been stretched out until the next date. This matter shines a light on ongoing worries about graft in high places, especially in government deals, and how it hits trust in leaders.
Mapisa-Nqakula stepped down as Speaker in April 2024 after losing a court fight to stop her arrest. The claims against her have stirred up big debates about clean governance and how defence contracts are handled. As South Africa keeps fighting corruption, cases like this show the slow but steady work of probes and courts to hold folks accountable.
Background to the Corruption Allegations
The charges against Mapisa-Nqakula go back to her days as Defence Minister from 2012 to 2021. She is said to have asked for and got more than R4.5 million in bribes from a company that worked with the South African National Defence Force. The main claims come from Nombasa Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu, a well-known businesswoman in the defence field and the only director of Umkhombe Marine, a logistics firm.
Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu says she paid about R2 million in bribes to Mapisa-Nqakula to win or keep contracts. These payments allegedly included cash and gifts, like a wig, in return for tenders and favours.
Umkhombe Marine handled logistics for the military, and the deals were meant to follow strict rules, but the claims point to rule-breaking for personal gain.
The case came to light through probes by the Investigating Directorate Against Corruption, part of the National Prosecuting Authority. They looked into how government money was spent and found signs of wrongdoing. Mapisa-Nqakula has denied the claims, saying they are not true and part of a plot against her. But Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu has turned state witness, meaning she is helping the prosecution, which could make the case stronger.
This fits into wider issues in South Africa’s defence sector, where past reports have flagged poor oversight and risks of graft in big contracts. It also ties to the state capture era, where many high-ups faced similar probes for misusing public funds.
Details of the Charges and Court Proceedings
Mapisa-Nqakula faces 12 counts of corruption under the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act, plus one count of money laundering. The corruption charges say she broke the law by taking undue benefits while in office, harming the public trust. The money laundering count claims she hid the source of the funds through shady moves.
The case started in the Pretoria Magistrates’ Court but moved to the High Court in July 2024 for better handling of serious matters. There have been hold-ups along the way. In August 2025, it was pushed to November 2025 to let her defence team study the docket, which they got late. On 21 November 2025, the court heard that her new attorney would not chase more talks with the NDPP to drop charges. Instead, she is set for trial, showing she wants to fight the claims in open court.
Investigating Directorate spokesperson Henry Mamothame said: “She has indicated through her new attorney that she will not pursue filing representations with the office of the NDPP, and that she is ready to proceed with trial.” This means no more delays from her side, and the focus shifts to pre-trial prep.
Her bail stays at R50,000, with rules like handing in her passport and not leaving the country without leave. The court extended it to keep things steady until July 2026.
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