Mapisa-Nqakula denies agreeing to appear in court on corruption charges – as arrest threat looms

National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula denied Investigating Directorate (ID) claims that she had agreed to appear in court on corruption charges – and accused the State of trying to set up a "photo shoot in the dock to humiliate me".

In court papers, Mapisa-Nqakula further claimed the "conduct of the State representatives", who are seeking to prosecute her for corruption, was "indicative of an abuse of process, at an opportunistic time before the national elections, in order to sway public opinion, trigger the ANC's 'step-aside' rule by charging me and humiliating me in the media…"

But, in a letter to Mapisa-Nqakula's attorney, Stephen May, on Wednesday, the deputy director of the ID, Bheki Manyathi, was adamant the State had simply been trying to do its job in relation to the high-profile bribery case against the former defence minister.