Former National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula has denied allegations that she accepted a R300,000 bribe during a handover at an airport, claiming the exchange was actually about a wig, according to news24.com.
Testifying in her corruption trial on Tuesday, Mapisa-Nqakula said she was asking where she could obtain the wig in question, not requesting cash. News24.com reports she gave this explanation while back on the witness stand, with the trial continuing via livestream.
The allegation centres on a disputed interaction at an airport. Mapisa-Nqakula’s version of events directly contradicts the bribe accusation, which she has firmly rejected.
In related testimony covered by Business Day, Mapisa-Nqakula also addressed her relationship with a sangoma, Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu, explaining that references to “impepho” — a plant used in traditional rituals — meant exactly that, and were not code for anything else.
The trial has drawn significant attention, with multiple South African outlets covering the proceedings. Daily Maverick also reported on Mapisa-Nqakula’s version of the airport handover, highlighting the wig explanation as central to her defence.
Earlier in the day, the High Court ruled against Mapisa-Nqakula on a separate matter, according to EWN, though details of that ruling were not specified in the reporting available.
The former speaker faces ongoing legal proceedings as she continues to defend herself against the corruption charges. Her testimony remains a key part of the case, and observers will be watching whether her explanations hold up under cross-examination.
