Former Minister Mapisa-Nqakula Testifies in Corruption Trial Over Disputed Airport Handover
2 sources · South Africa
Who reported this
- Daily Maverick
- Business Day
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Former National Assembly speaker and defence minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula testified in the Gauteng Division of the High Court in Pretoria on Tuesday, September 8, 2026. Mapisa-Nqakula faces 12 counts of corruption and one count of money laundering. The charges relate to allegations that she received approximately R4.55 million from defence contractor Nombasa Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu between 2016 and 2019.
The testimony focused on a specific handover at the OR Tambo International Airport. Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu previously testified that the word wig was a code for money and that R300,000 in cash was concealed beneath a wig in a bag. Mapisa-Nqakula provided a different version, stating that the item was an actual hairpiece she had asked the businesswoman to organize for her after admiring her hairstyle at a 2018 event.
During the proceedings, Judge Mashudu Munzhelele questioned Mapisa-Nqakula's claim that she does not normally wear wigs. The judge presented a photograph from September 20, 2018, showing the former minister wearing a wig. Mapisa-Nqakula admitted the photograph was accurate but explained that she only wears wigs for particular occasions. She further denied allegations that she shouted at Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu during the airport delivery, stating that she would have been thankful for the gift.
How each side framed it
- Centre-left
- The reporting provides a detailed account of the testimony and the judge's contradictions to highlight the specifics of the legal dispute.
- Centre-right
- The reporting is brief and focuses on the procedural fact that the trial is continuing.
Sources
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