In a year marked by heightened scrutiny, several prominent politicians have found themselves in the legal spotlight, facing a range of allegations from corruption to fraud.
Despite their positions of power and influence, these officials have been forced to account for their actions before the courts.
Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula
One notable case is that of former National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula who made her first appearance in the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court on 04 April.
Her court appearance followed the Pretoria High Court’s dismissal of her application to block her arrest for alleged corruption.
She faces charges of 12 counts of corruption involving R4.5 million dating back to when she was Defense Minister, and one count of money laundering.
After her appearance, she was granted bail of R50 000, despite the state initially requesting R100 000.
The National Prosecuting Authority’s (NPA’s) Investigative Directorate (ID), searched the home of the former parliamentary speaker in April.
The raid prompted Mapisa-Nqakula to subsequently resign from Parliament after arguing that she was innocent.
Following her resignation, Mapisa-Nqakula handed herself over to the police.
The Department of Defence rejected Mapisa-Nqakula’s request for legal representation in her corruption case.
Nqakula-Mapisa made the request last month following her appearance in the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court after handing herself over to police at the Lyttelton Police Station in Tshwane.
“We then looked at the provisions in the law whether we can accede or not to such a request and we found that in terms of section 6.2 of the state legal representative policy, we cannot help the former minister and therefore, we will not be doing so,” said Thandi Modise, who was defence minister at the time.
Mapisa-Nqakula’s case is ongoing, with her legal team applying for disclosure of parts of the police docket. The application will be argued next year.
ALSO READ: Mapisa-Nqakula’s corruption case moved to high court
Zizi Kodwa
Another high-profile case involves former Sports, Arts and Culture Minister Zizi Kodwa.
He was in the dock facing corruption charges in terms of the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act (Precca) and the Prevention of Organised Crime Act.
Kodwa was accused alongside EOH Group senior executive Jehan Mackay for allegedly accepting bribes from Mackay.
The pair were arrested after the findings of the Commission of Inquiry into the Allegations of State Capture.
It was alleged that Mackay paid bribes to Kodwa, amounting to R1.6 million, between April 2015 to February 2016 in the form of cash, luxury accommodation, a luxury SUV and other gratifications.
The bribes were allegedly paid to further the interests of Mackay, EOH and Tactical Software Systems (TSS), so Mackay would receive a R360 million IT software tender.
However, the allegations reportedly resulted in the cancellation of the multimillion-rand tender.
Kodwa and Mackay handed themselves over to the police on 06 June, they appeared in court on the same day and were granted R30 000 bail.
ALSO READ: Kodwa claims corruption case was to ‘eliminate and humiliate’ him [VIDEO]
A day before handing himself over, Kodwa stepped aside as a member of the National Working Committee (NWC) and National Executive Committee (NEC) of the African National Congress (ANC).
During court proceedings from June to November, Kodwa and his co-accused maintained their innocence. Kodwa claimed that the R1.6 million received from Mackay was not a bribe, but a loan.
He denied all other allegations against him.
After months of going back and forth in court, the National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP) Advocate Andrew Chauke made the decision to withdraw charges against Kodwa and Mackay.
“The decision to abandon the prosecution is premised on grounds militated by the successful representations that were lodged by the accused with the office of the DPP, which were comprehensively considered alongside the evidential material contained in the case docket, the reports from the prosecutor and the Regional Head of the Specialised Commercial Crimes Unit and consultation with the Investigating Officer,” said NPA regional spokesperson of Gauteng, Phindi Mjonondwane.
Mjonondwane said the DPP ultimately decided to withdraw the charges, citing new information that undermined the chances of a successful prosecution.
Following Kodwa’s absolution from the crime, he told 702 that the case allegations aimed to eliminate and humiliate him.
Kodwa added that when the alleged crime took place he did not have any influence on the tender’s outcome, given that he was merely a spokesperson and not yet minister.
“The same tender they are talking about got cancelled not because of influence, but because of compliance. Internally it did not comply. So, there was no common cause or purpose that linked me to anything,” he said.
ALSO READ: Corruption charges against Zizi Kodwa withdrawn [VIDEO]
Pule Mabe
Pule Mabe, a former ANC MP and spokesperson, made headlines for his alleged involvement in a R27 million tender fraud case.
Mabe and his wife, Mmathleko Mabe, along with six others, Loyiso Mkwana, Thandeka Mbassa, Abdulla Ismail, Matilda Gasela, and Tinyiko Mahuntsi handed themselves over to the Hawks and made their first court appearance in Ekurhuleni on 16 October.
The former ANC spokesperson and his co-accused face charges of fraud, theft, and possibly other related offences.
The Palm Ridge Specialised Commercial Crime Court awarded the group R30 000 bail each on the same day.
Mabe adhered to the ANC’s step-aside policy and vacated his seat on the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC).
Their case revolves around the forensic report by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) that uncovered the alleged tender fraud awarded for waste management services in Gauteng.
ALSO READ: Former ANC spokesperson Pule Mabe granted R30k bail in R27m corruption case
The Gauteng Agriculture and Rural Development Department in 2017 awarded the tender to Enviro-Mobi, Mabe’s company which would supply 200 three-wheeler vehicles for use by waste pickers employed by the Ekurhuleni Municipality.
According to the state, Enviro-Mobi was not skilled enough to handle the contract.
Furthermore, Mkwana and Ismail were accused of allegedly recommending a payment of more than R16 million, despite no services being rendered by Mabe’s company, with an additional R9 million being recommended by Mkwana.
Mabe maintained his innocence asserting that being accused of something does not make one guilty.
“If it means that will make us look corrupt in the eyes of others, we are ready to pay that solemn price because we are hardworking,” he told the media.
He has previously defended the tender, claiming that it was an idea stemming from his research for a dissertation he wrote while studying for a Master of Business Leadership (MBL) degree, which he completed at Unisa in 2019.
While the department received 196 karikis, most of them reportedly had “mechanical difficulties”, and four were outstanding.
According to the state, Mabe remained in control of Enviro-Mobi’s bank account, despite resigning as a director.
Mabe claimed he’d resigned because he was obliged to do so when he became a public servant.
The case was postponed to 25 March 2025.
ALSO READ: ‘Who is supposed to take care of her?’: Pule Mabe asks why its a crime to give wife money
Kabelo Gwamanda
The former mayor of Johannesburg also found himself in trouble with the law.
Gwamanda was accused of swindling residents through an investment and funeral insurance scheme run by his company, iThemba Lama Afrika.
Despite a warrant for his arrest being issued in May 2024, Gwamanda only turned himself in five months later. He appeared in court and was granted R2,000 bail.
Former Joburg mayor Mpho Phalatse revealed Gwamanda’s alleged fraud in May 2023.
Phalatse claimed Gwamanda violated financial laws and scammed members of the public.
“It is alleged that Cllr Kabelo Gwamanda, through his entity iThemba Lama Afrika, swindled innocent residents into investing in a funeral/investment scheme. However, when it was time for investors to claim their benefits, they were left stranded,” said Phalatse at the time.
The Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) in June 2023 confirmed the investigation into iThemba Lama Afrika Gwamanda after pressing media interest.
Current Joburg Mayor Dada Morero said the ANC’s step-aside rule should kick in even if Gwamanda was not a member of the party.
Morero put Eunice Mgina as the acting MMC of Community Development in Gwamanda’s place.
Currently out on bail, Gwamanda’s next court appearance is scheduled for 03 December.
ALSO READ: ActionSA to submit motion of no confidence against Gwamanda: ‘He must go before Christmas’
Malusi Booi
The former Democratic Alliance (DA) Human Settlements MMC is in the dock for his alleged involvement in a R1 billion housing tender graft scheme.
Booi, Suraya Manual, Abdul Kader Davids, Mohammed Amod, Booi’s ex-girlfriend Lorna Ndoda, his ex-wife Nomvuyo Mnyaka, Thuli Imgib, Brenda and Randall Mullins and Siphokazi September made their first appearance in Cape Town Magistrate’s court on 12 September, facing charges relating to money laundering, racketeering, corruption and extortion fraud.
Booi’s co-accused were arrested in three different provinces before being transported to Cape Town to appear in court.
It was alleged that Booi received instructions from underworld figures, specifically Ralph Stanfield, the alleged 28s gang boss, who paid him to illegally obtain City of Cape Town housing tenders.
Booi allegedly accepted R2.5 million in cash and gifts like Rolex watches worth R2 million for his role in the scheme.
The fraudulent tenders involved reportedly amounted to R850 million.
The state argued for bail to be set at R200 000 for Booi and his co-accused, with strict bail conditions.
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