Mapisa‑Nqakula absent from Pretoria court due to illness; hearing postponed

Former defence minister and National Assembly speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa‑Nqakula did not appear at the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria on Thursday because of ill health, and the matter was postponed to 16 September 2026.

Medical report provided to court

Mapisa‑Nqakula’s legal representative told the court that the accused was not before the court that day due to illness and handed in a medical report. The report is dated 9 September, the lawyer said, and a copy was given to the state.

Postponement and warrant of arrest

The hearing was postponed to 16 September 2026 for further proceedings. The court also authorised a warrant of arrest against Mapisa‑Nqakula and held it over until that next scheduled appearance.

Allegations and earlier testimony

On Wednesday, Mapisa‑Nqakula denied an allegation that Nombasa Ntsondwa‑Ndhlovu gave her the dollar equivalent of R150 000 for an official trip to the United States in September 2018. She said she received an allowance for the trip, similar to other officials who travel abroad, and described how government arrangements covered most costs.

“By the time you arrive, your accommodation is sorted, inclusive of breakfast and sometimes dinner. In my case, even laundry services. There is not much that you will do from your side in terms of expenditure because everything has been taken care of, unless you choose to do something else; then you use that allowance because it was given to you,” said Mapisa‑Nqakula.

Charges and case status

Mapisa‑Nqakula resigned as National Assembly speaker and as a member of parliament in April 2024 and handed herself over to Lyttelton Police Station that same month. She is facing 12 counts of corruption and one count of money laundering. According to the charge sheet in court, she is accused of receiving and soliciting R4.5 million, with R2.1 million allegedly received in cash from Ntsondwa‑Ndhlovu between December 2016 and July 2019. She has denied the allegations and pleaded not guilty. Ntsondwa‑Ndhlovu has become a state witness in the case.