Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula is off the hook after the joint standing committee on defence dropped an investigation into allegations of corruption against her.
Cape Town – Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula is off the hook after the joint standing committee on defence dropped an investigation into allegations of corruption against her after the whistleblower failed to present more evidence against her.
This was after a whistleblower had claimed that Mapisa-Nqakula, during her time as Defence Minister, had allegedly received a bribe from one of the contractors of the department of defence.
But members of the defence committee dropped the investigation last night after the whistleblower failed to come forward to give more evidence on the allegations.
Co-chairpersons of the committee Elleck Nchabeleng and Cyril Xaba said there is nothing they can do but drop the investigation.
Nchabeleng was appointed by the defence committee as convenor of the sub-committee probing Mapisa-Nqakula.
Nchabeleng said they have hit a dead end as the whistleblower is not coming forward with more information to the committee to continue with the investigation.
Other parties also said they have been left frustrated as the whistleblower has stymied the work of the investigation.
“As you know the joint standing committee on defence established a task team to look at the matters related to the investigation, the allegations of corruption against the former Minister of Defence and the late former Secretary of Defence,” said Nchabeleng.
He said the mandate of the committee was to finish the investigation by the end of August.
But on deadline day the whistleblower pulled out of the process.
Xaba said the report by Nchabeleng was clear that their term has come to an end.
“They were given until the end of last month to look at the matters and make recommendations to this committee.
They tried to track down the whistleblower who initially promised to make an affidavit and undertook to make oral presentations but on the last day of this committee he or she says the lawyer says he or she can only file an affidavit, which is less than what we have requested of him or her,” said Xaba.
He said there is nothing they can do and their hands were tied.
The committee then decided to drop the investigation against Mapisa-Nqakula due to lack of evidence.
Political Bureau
