EFF calls for immediate removal of Mapisa-Nqakula after involvement in bribery scandal
4 March 2024
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) is appalled by the damning reports, implicating Parliament Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula in a reprehensible cash bribery scandal amounting to over R2.3 million. Such revelations strike at the core of our democratic principles and we demand her immediate removal from office pending the conclusive outcomes of these investigations.
It has been revealed that Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula was implicated in an affidavit submitted to the Investigative Directorate (ID) by the owner of Umkhombe Marine. The allegations detailed in the affidavit suggest that while she was Minister of Defence, she solicited and received millions of rand in cash bribes delivered in gift bags between 2016 and 2019 from the company. Notably, Umkhombe Marine secured tenders worth R210 million in 2019 for freight and logistics services for the South African National Defence Forces (SANDF).
The revelation that these illicit transactions allegedly unfolded over several years, with the Speaker purportedly making demands for cash through intermediaries before directly receiving the funds herself, is atrocious. Such blatant disregard for ethical conduct and the rule of law cannot be tolerated.
Additionally, the revelation that the ID has been probing these allegations for six months highlights the gravity of the situation. However, the apparent secrecy surrounding the investigation raises concerns about transparency and accountability within law enforcement agencies when it comes to those in positions of power.
These revelations also serve as an indictment of the pervasive corruption that has corroded the 6th Parliament, marked by a festering rot that emanates from the highest echelons of power, including the President himself, down to the Speaker, and has insidiously permeated the entirety of the ANC caucus. This rot within the ruling party has become entrenched, with its members shamelessly exploiting their majority to perpetuate their corrupt practices.
It is inconceivable that such flagrant abuse of power could occur without the knowledge or complicity of those in leadership positions, and President Ramaphosa's feigned ignorance only highlights his general incompetence and inability to govern effectively.
However, it is far more plausible that Ramaphosa and his faction were fully cognisant of these corrupt dealings and opted to leverage them as a tool to coerce compliance in their effort to suppress dissent within Parliament, utilising Mapisa-Nqakula's position to their advantage.
Through her, they aggressively deployed security forces against opposition party members, and misapplied the rules to protect Ramaphosa against the voices that called for accountability on Phala Phala. Mapisa-Nqakula's tenure as Speaker served to protect Ramaphosa and his allies at the expense of the South African people. Now that her usefulness to the ruling elite has waned and the 6th Parliament nears its end, she is being exposed and discarded.
The EFF calls for Mapisa-Nqakula's removal as Speaker while she is under investigation and that she is prosecuted to the full extent of the law. We will continue to stand as the beacon of hope for a future free from the shackles of corruption and ismanagement.
The EFF Parliamentary Caucus will also report the Speaker to the Parliamentary Ethics Committee so that she is held accountable for her taking bribes. We will closely monitor the work of the Ethics Committee in this regard because the ruling Party has been using it as an instrument to fight political battles.
We call on all South Africans to see through the facade of the ANC's rhetoric and to vote for change on the 29th of May 2024. It is time to rid our Parliament of a corrupt majority that has repeatedly obstructed efforts to hold the govemment accountable, contributing to the dire state of our country, including the ongoing crisis at ESKOM which has plunged many into darkness.
Issued by Sinawo Thambo, National Spokesperson, EFF, 3 March 2024
