CORRUPTION TRIAL : Mapisa-Nqakula’s bid to walk free fails as ‘cash and coded messages’ survive court test

Daily MaverickIndependentCenter5 hr. ago

Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, a former South African National Assembly speaker and defense minister, faces 12 corruption charges and one money laundering charge related to alleged payments totaling around R4.55 million from a defense contractor between 2016 and 2019. After rejecting her motion to dismiss the case, the Gauteng High Court ruled that the state had provided sufficient evidence to establish a prima facie case against her. The court emphasized that the evidence, including cash transactions and coded communications, suggested she was aware of the payments' nature and their connection to her official role. Mapisa-Nqakula's legal team challenged the sufficiency of the evidence, pointing to reliance on the testimony of the main witness, Nombasa Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu, but the court dismissed this argument, allowing the trial to proceed.

Bias read (Center): The article provides a balanced account of the court proceedings, presenting both the prosecution's arguments regarding the evidence and the defense's challenges to the sufficiency of that evidence. There is no overtly biased language or selective emphasis on one side over the other. The report is a

Mail & GuardianIndependentCenter7 hr. ago

The Gauteng High Court in Pretoria has rejected former National Assembly speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula's request to dismiss corruption charges against her. The court ruled that it is too early to discharge her due to circumstantial evidence suggesting she may have accepted bribes and laundered money. Mapisa-Nqakula, who served as defense minister from 2016 to 2019, faces 12 corruption charges and one money laundering charge. The prosecution alleges she solicited R4.5 million in kickbacks from a defense contractor and received R2.1 million in cash. Some of the funds were reportedly used for home renovations costing around R1.8 million. The court found prima facie evidence supporting the money laundering claim, allowing the trial to proceed.

Bias read (Center): The article presents the court's ruling and the allegations against Mapisa-Nqakula without overtly favoring either side. It reports the legal arguments from both the prosecution and defense, and provides factual details about the charges without apparent ideological slant. The framing remains centra

IOL (Independent Online)Party-alignedCenter9 hr. ago

A former senior traffic official from Stellenbosch, Elvis Frank Nontyi, has been sentenced to six years in prison for corruption. Nontyi, who worked at the Driver's Licence and Testing Centre, pleaded guilty to six counts of accepting bribes totaling R5,550 between March 2022 and July 2022. The sentencing occurred in the Bellville Specialised Commercial Crimes Court. Three years of his sentence were suspended for five years, and he was declared unfit to possess a firearm. The Hawks, South Africa's anti-corruption agency, praised the conviction as a deterrent against abuse of authority.

Bias read (Center): The article presents a factual account of a corruption conviction without overtly praising or condemning the actions of the individual or the authorities involved. It reports on the legal proceedings and outcome without evident ideological slant, focusing on the judicial process and the consequences