South Africa’s Ex-Parliament Speaker Surrenders to Police Amid Corruption Allegations

Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, South Africa’s former Speaker of Parliament, has voluntarily surrendered to police one day after her resignation over corruption allegations.

Mapisa-Nqakula presented herself at a police station in Centurion, located 40km (24 miles) from Johannesburg, on Thursday. She is scheduled to appear in Pretoria Magistrate’s Court for her initial court hearing on corruption charges.

The politician faces accusations of soliciting bribes in exchange for awarding contracts during her tenure as defence minister.

Following weeks of investigation, Mapisa-Nqakula tendered her resignation on Wednesday, emphasizing that it was not an admission of guilt but rather a response to the seriousness of the allegations.

She has consistently refuted any wrongdoing in the matter.