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Key witness reveals alleged bribes in Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula's corruption trial
ZA🏛️ PoliticsCenter3 hr. ago

Key witness reveals alleged bribes in Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula's corruption trial

In the corruption trial of former South African Parliament Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, a key witness named Nombasa Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu testified about alleged bribes she paid to the former minister. As the sole director of Umkhombe Marine Pty Ltd, Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu secured a R79 million contract with the South African National Defence Force (SANDF). She described using coded language, including terms like 'padkos', 'wig', and references to African sage, to discuss payments. The former minister allegedly requested cash payments totaling R4.5 million, with R2.1 million received in cash. Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu initially complied with several requests, including paying R300,000 and R400,000, but refused to pay a R2 million bribe for her husband’s promotion due to his work performance. The prosecution plans to call 28 witnesses, and the court has warned against recording the testimony.

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4 reports

IOL (Independent Online) logoIOL (Independent Online)Party-alignedCenter3 hr. ago
Mapisa-Nqakula trial: Witness tells of 'bribes' of gift-wrapped cash, use of code words

In the trial of former South African parliament speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, witness Nombasa Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu testified about alleged bribery schemes involving coded language. As the sole director of Umkhombe Marine Pty Ltd, Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu secured a R79 million contract with the South African National Defence Force (SANDF). She claims she paid Mapisa-Nqakula R4.5 million in bribes, with some payments disguised as gifts. The witness described how Mapisa-Nqakula used coded terms like 'padkos', 'wig', and references to African sage to request money. Payments began after she won a replacement contract following the termination of her initial contract. Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu alleges that Mapisa-Nqakula demanded a R2 million bribe to promote her husband within the SANDF, which she refused. Mapisa-Nqakula has denied all charges.

Bias read (Center): The article presents testimony from a witness against Mapisa-Nqakula without overtly favoring either side. It reports allegations without clear editorializing, presenting both the accusations and the defendant's denial. While the subject is politically charged due to involvement with high-level官员, 该

IOL (Independent Online) logoIOL (Independent Online)Party-alignedCenter4 hr. ago
Key witness reveals alleged bribes in Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula's corruption trial

In the corruption trial of former South African Parliament Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, a key witness named Nombasa Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu testified about alleged bribes she paid to the former minister. As the sole director of Umkhombe Marine Pty Ltd, Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu secured a R79 million contract with the South African National Defence Force (SANDF). She described using coded language, including terms like 'padkos', 'wig', and references to African sage, to discuss payments. The former minister allegedly requested cash payments totaling R4.5 million, with R2.1 million received in cash. Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu initially complied with several requests, including paying R300,000 and R400,000, but refused to pay a R2 million bribe for her husband’s promotion due to his work performance. The prosecution plans to call 28 witnesses, and the court has warned against recording the testimony.

Bias read (Center): The article presents the testimony of a key witness in a high-profile corruption trial without overtly favoring either side. It reports the allegations against Mapisa-Nqakula objectively, detailing the claims made by the witness without expressing judgment or taking a clear ideological stance. While

Daily Maverick logoDaily MaverickIndependentCenter3 days ago
CORRUPTION TRIAL : I paid Mapisa-Nqakula hundreds of thousands after landing R79m deal, witness tells court

The corruption trial of former South African National Assembly Speaker and Defence Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula took a new turn as businesswoman Nombasa Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu testified in court about a R104-million defense logistics contract awarded to her company, Umkhombe Marine. The contract was later suspended, leading Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu to sue the military. Before the case reached a judge, military officials allegedly offered her a smaller R79-million contract in exchange for dropping the lawsuit. Following this, she claims she was asked for multiple cash payments totaling around R4.5 million by Mapisa-Nqakula during her tenure as Defence Minister. Mapisa-Nqakula denies these allegations and faces charges of corruption and money laundering.

Bias read (Center): The article presents a factual account of the testimony provided by Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu without overtly favoring either side. It includes direct quotes from the witness and outlines the legal proceedings impartially. There is no evident editorializing or biased language that would suggest a particular傾

Daily Maverick logoDaily MaverickIndependentCenter4 days ago
ON TRIAL : Cash, codes and a wig: Mapisa-Nqakula finally faces her corruption trial

Former South African National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula has begun her corruption trial in Pretoria, facing 12 counts of corruption and one count of money laundering related to her tenure as defense minister from 2016 to 2019. The prosecution alleges that during this period, she requested R4.55 million in cash and other benefits from Nombasa Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu, the director of logistics firm Umkhombe Marine. This follows a R104-million SANDF logistics contract awarded to Umkhombe Marine in 2016, which was reportedly suspended shortly after being granted. The trial details include claims that Mapisa-Nqakula used intermediaries, coded language, and private meetings to make these requests, starting with a R300,000 demand in November 2016. Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu, protected by legal immunity, is set to testify later in the trial.

Bias read (Center): The article presents factual information about a high-profile corruption trial involving a former national leader without overtly favoring either side. It reports on the allegations, the nature of the charges, and the procedural aspects of the trial without using biased language or selectively omit-

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