The judge overseeing the corruption case of former parliamentary Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula expressed dissatisfaction with the case being brought before his court with unresolved issues. During her first appearance at the Pretoria High Court on Wednesday, Mapisa-Nqakula’s lawyers requested additional evidence disclosure from the State, despite the case being transferred to the high court in preparation for trial.
Mapisa-Nqakula faces 12 counts of corruption and one count of money laundering, relating to allegations that she received R4.5 million in kickbacks from a defense contractor during her tenure as Defence Minister.
The defense intends to apply for the release of sections B and C of the police dockets, which cover correspondence and the investigating officers’ diary. Judge Mokhine Mosopa criticized the delay, noting that such applications should have been addressed in lower courts before reaching the high court. Nevertheless, he agreed to the request, postponing the matter to 5 December for arguments on the application for further evidence disclosure.
The judge emphasized that cases should only be transferred to the high court when they are fully prepared for trial, but in the interest of justice, he granted the postponement.