According to local media, the speaker of South Africa’s parliament has voluntarily surrendered to the police amidst an ongoing corruption probe involving her.
Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula turned herself in at the Pretoria Central Police station on Friday morning, and she is anticipated to make a court appearance later today, as per local reports.
Allegations against her involve accusations of soliciting bribes in exchange for awarding contracts during her tenure as defence minister. However, it remains unclear whether she has been formally arrested.
Reports suggest that she has taken legal action to prevent potential detention by authorities. Additionally, state broadcaster SABC indicates that Ms. Mapisa-Nqakula is considering stepping down from her parliamentary role.
Earlier, she announced her decision to take special leave from her duties in light of the severity of the allegations, as stated by parliament.
In a separate development, an elite police unit conducted a five-hour search at Ms. Mapisa-Nqakula’s residence in Johannesburg earlier this week. Despite the scrutiny, she maintains her innocence and asserts her cooperation with the ongoing investigation.
