Baleka Mbete Supports Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula At Lyttelton Police Station

Former Deputy President and former Speaker of the National Assembly, Baleka Mbete, was reportedly present at the Lyttelton Police Station in Tshwane on Thursday morning.

She was there to support her long-time friend and ally, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, who had arrived to hand herself over to the police amid a multi-million rand corruption investigation.

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Mapisa-Nqakula arrived at the police station in a convoy of three sport utility vehicles – a grey Audi Q7, a Mazda, and a black BMW X5.

Prior to her arrival, another convoy of at least three vehicles, attached to the SAPS Presidential Protection Service Unit, had entered the Lyttelton Police Station.

It was reported by the SABC that Mbete was present at the police station to offer support to her comrade as she went through the process of being processed by law enforcement agents in preparation for her court appearance.

Shortly after Mapisa-Nqakula entered the Lyttelton Police Station, the Presidential Protection Service convoy left the premises with blue police lights flashing.

Journalists and photographers were gathered at the main entrance, capturing the moment as the BMW 3-Series, followed by a BMW X5 with the SAPS Presidential Protection Service badge, and a South African National Defence Force (SANDF) Mercedes-Benz V-Class drove out.

Minutes later, Mapisa-Nqakula also left the police station. Speculation arose regarding her destination, with possibilities including the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court or the Pretoria Specialised Commercial Crimes Court.

On Tuesday, Mapisa-Nqakula suffered a legal setback when the High Court in Pretoria dismissed her urgent application to interdict her impending arrest in light of the corruption investigations.

Judge Sulet Potterill stated that no arrest had been made and no specific unlawfulness had been explained to the court apart from mere speculation. The judge emphasized that Mapisa-Nqakula had the right to legal representation and had been given ample time to report to the Lyttelton Police Station with a legal representative.

Mapisa-Nqakula, who served as Minister of Defence from 2012 to 2021, is accused of receiving millions of rand in cash bribes from a military contractor during her tenure as Defence Minister. She has vehemently denied any wrongdoing. Despite the dismissal of her urgent application, the decision to arrest her was withheld until Judge Potterill’s ruling on Tuesday.

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On Wednesday evening, Mapisa-Nqakula resigned from her position as National Assembly Speaker, stating that she wanted to focus on the ongoing investigation against her. This resignation followed weeks of speculation about her future amid threats of arrest by the National Prosecuting Authority’s Investigating Directorate (ID).

Mapisa-Nqakula is accused of receiving over R4 million in kickbacks from a defence contractor during her time as South Africa’s Defense Minister. Prosecutors allege that she solicited these bribes and gratifications from a fraud-accused businesswoman who reportedly received R210 million in defence contracts.

In her resignation statement, Mapisa-Nqakula clarified that her decision to resign was not an admission of guilt but rather a way to allow all legal processes to unfold. She submitted her resignation letter to Acting Speaker Lechesa Tsenoli on Wednesday.