South Africa’s former National Assembly speaker faces 12 counts of fraud and corruption

The Pretoria Magistrate’s Court granted former Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula bail of 50 thousand rand. The case has been postponed to 4 June and a second accused will then be added to the case. The New York Times reports that Mapisa-Nqakula, 67, was charged in court on Thursday with 12 counts of corruption and one count of money laundering. She was accused of soliciting about 4.5 million rand in bribes and receiving 2.1 million rand, from a defense contractor in exchange for awarding contracts between 2016 and 2019. Mapisa-Nqakula, who resigned as speaker yesterday, has maintained her innocence.