By Johnathan Paoli
The corruption trial of former National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula resumed in the Gauteng Division of the High Court in Pretoria on Monday, with the State leading evidence from the brother and husband of its key witness, raising fresh questions about the circumstances surrounding an alleged R200,000 cash delivery.
Proceedings heard testimony from Sabelo Ntsondwa, the brother of State witness and defence contractor Nombasa Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu, as well as her husband, Major-General Noel Ndhlovu, a military doctor.
Mapisa-Nqakula has pleaded not guilty to 12 counts of corruption and one count of money laundering.
The State alleges that while serving as Minister of Defence between 2016 and 2019, she solicited about R4.5 million from Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu, the sole director of defence contractor Umkhombe Marine.
Prosecutors allege that Mapisa-Nqakula ultimately received about R2.15 million in cash and other benefits in exchange for abusing her position as minister. She denies the allegations.
Ntsondwa testified about an alleged armed robbery in 2017 while he and his brother-in-law were travelling to deliver R200,000 in cash to Mapisa-Nqakula.
He told the court the money was concealed beneath the passenger seat and remained undiscovered after armed robbers searched the vehicle.
Under questioning, Ntsondwa said he could not remember what happened to the vehicle after the robbery or whether his sister was travelling in the car when he and her husband returned home.
His account differed from Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu’s evidence last week, in which she testified that the vehicle was towed from the scene after the robbery while her husband drove her home.
The State then called Ndhlovu, whose testimony followed repeated references to him during his wife’s evidence last week.
Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu previously told the court there was what she described as a “Great Wall of China” in their marriage, saying they deliberately kept their professional and business affairs separate and did not discuss certain work-related matters.
Ndhlovu told the court he played no role in the awarding of defence tenders to his wife’s company and said their relationship had been properly declared.
He further testified that Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu had already secured two defence contracts before they met and later married.
The testimony follows an extensive cross-examination of Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu by defence advocate Siyabulela Mapoma last week, during which he highlighted what he argued were inconsistencies in the State’s case.
Mapoma questioned differences between her evidence and a letter written by Deputy Defence Minister Bantu Holomisa, who first made the allegations public.
He pointed to discrepancies over the alleged total value of the bribes, noting that Holomisa’s letter referred to R5 million while Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu consistently testified the amount was R4.5 million.
The defence also questioned why Holomisa’s letter referred to a R200,000 payment that had not initially featured in her testimony and why it included allegations that Mapisa-Nqakula had sought R2 million to assist with Ndhlovu’s promotion within the South African National Defence Force, claims that were omitted from her evidence.
Judge Mashudu Munzhelele also questioned Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu last week on why she continued making payments if she believed she was being improperly pressured.
She testified that she feared refusing the minister’s requests would damage their relationship and negatively affect her company’s business prospects.
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