Mapisa-Nqakula's unlawful request must be rejected outright

20 April 2024

The Minister of Defence, Thandi Modise, should not be "applying her mind" to the highly irregular and potentially illegal request for financial assistance that was submitted to the Department of Defense by the former Speaker of the National Assembly, Nosiviwe Mapisa Nqakula, to cover legal costs in her corruption trial.

Should Modise accede to the request, the DA will not hesitate to take action to have it reviewed and set aside. There is absolutely nothing that entitles Mapisa-Nqakula to financial support for her corruption trial from the Department of Defence and any steps taken to authorise this will be wasteful expenditure and abuse of taxpayer money.

Mapisa-Nqakula's implied position that the alleged crimes were committed during her tenure as the Minister of Defence and therefore the taxpayer should foot her legal bills, is perhaps the most ridiculous entitlement that has become the hallmark of the ANC's deployed cadres. From Jacob Zuma, Busisiwe Mkhwebane to Hlaudi Motsoeneng - taxpayers have been forced to pay tens of millions of rand to cover legal costs for private lawyers.

Mapisa-Nqakula is being charged in her personal capacity for alleged acts of corruption and should therefore not be seeking legal aid from the public purse that she contemptuously abused in the commission of the alleged crimes.

In addition to rejecting Mapisa-Nqakula's request, Modise should suspend the Head of Legal Services in the SANDF, Major General Eric Mnisi, pending a disciplinary hearing, for clandestinely processing the request without seeking approval first. Mnisi abused his position as an accounting officer and should be held fully accountable for the serious offence of breach of trust.

The abuse of state resources for personal gain has been a recurring theme within the corrupt ANC government. Mapisa-Nqakula is desperate to continue with that despicable practice and the DA stands ready to ensure that she does not succeed.

Issued by Kobus Marais, DA Shadow Minister of Defence, 20 April 2024